EDF has completed hot testing at the 1,650 MWe Flamanville-3 nuclear power project in northwestern France, paving the way for the fuel loading phase, which is now expected at the end of 2022.
The Flamanville project was initially expected to be commissioned in 2013 (completion of construction in late 2012) at a cost of €3.3bn. Technical problems have led to significant delays and cost escalation. Construction time has tripled from 5 to more than 15 years - and its cost has soared by more than 200% to nearly €11bn, and now to €12.4bn (2015 euros and excluding interim interest). In June 2019, the Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) asked the group to repair eight containment penetration welds that failed to comply with the break preclusion principle, leading to additional costs and delays. In October 2019, EDF raised the EPR project’s estimated construction cost by €1.5bn to €12.4bn (in 2015 euros), after the adoption of a scenario for upgrading the main secondary system penetration welds with robots at the project.
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