The French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) has allowed EDF to restart the 915 MW unit-1 of the Tricastin nuclear power plant in southern France, which had been shutdown for nearly 7 months due to an exceptional visit intended to allow it to continue operating beyond 40 years. The reactor has been reconnected to the power grid. EDF has invested around €250m to improve the reactor's safety.
The unit 1 of Tricastin nuclear power plant is the first in the French park to have passed its fourth “ten-year visit”. The two 915 MW first units of the Tricastin nuclear power plant were commissioned by EDF in 1980. In 2010, the ASN extended the operating lifetime for the Tricastin’s unit 1 for 10 years beyond the regulatory 30 years (until 2020).
The issuance of a restart notice by the ASN is a first step towards the possible authorisation to operate the reaction for an additional decade (up to 50 years). This process will take at least two more years. The ASN will issue a generic notice for all 900 MW reactors by the end of 2020. There will then be a public inquiry in 2021. On the basis of the ASN's report, which will be sent to the Ministry of Ecological Transition, the government will have to decide if it authorises the continuation of the reactor's activity for up to 50 years.
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