the repeated cracks on the power plants worry the Safety Authority

A major crack was discovered on reactor number 1 at Penly (Seine-Maritime). In a power plant, the vessel houses the nuclear reaction. There are also emergency circuits, which allow in case of emergency to inject water to cool the system. Microcracks had already been detected on a circuit branch, the so-called phenomenon of “stress corrosion“. A much larger crack was this time discovered on another branch.

EDF will have to strengthen its controls

The danger is not immediate, since the plant was shut down for work on the microcracks. The discovery, however, raises questions about the safety of the cooling system. “It is not on the most essential branch for this cooling, but it still creates a risk of loss of cooling of the reactor, and of weakening the capacity to cool it in emergency, if such a breach should occur.“, explains Yves Marignac, nuclear expert at the négaWatt Institute. The Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) therefore asks EDF to strengthen its controls.