The French nuclear regulator Autorité de Sûreté Nucléaire (ASN) has given its green light to the EPR tank of EDF's Flamanville nuclear project despite defects in the tank steel, considering that the mechanical characteristics of the bottom and the lid of the tank are sufficient in terms of safety, even in the event of an accident. However, EDF will have to carry out periodic additional checks to ensure that there are no further defects and will have to change the upper part of the tank by 2024 at the latest, which will add around €100m to the €10.5bn project.
The ASN will submit its draft opinion to the public in the coming days and the consultation will last until September 2017. The ASN will also consult the Higher Council for the Prevention of Technological Hazards and will finalize its opinion following these consultations in October 2017.
The project has been heavily criticized in the last months. Earlier in June 2017, the French High Committee for Transparency and Information on Nuclear Security ( Haut Comité pour la transparence et l’information sur la sécurité nucléaire or HCTISN) published its interim report regarding the anomalies of the Flamanville EPR tank and stated that the two manufacturers - EDF as the operator of the future EPR and Areva as manufacturer of the tank - lacked transparency regarding the anomalies of the tank.
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