The vaunted, but aging, French government-owned nuclear program is facing big problems, which are spreading to the rest of Europe. Bloomberg reported last week (May 19), “French electricity prices climbed after the region’s biggest producer cut its nuclear output target for a third time this year, the latest sign that the region’s power crisis is worsening.”
Bloomberg added that Electricite de France’s fleet of 56 nukes, “the backbone of Europe’s integrated power system, is sending prices higher just as soaring inflation is pushing up costs for everything from gasoline to food. It could get even worse in winter as France, traditionally an exporter of electricity, may be forced to import more from its neighbors.”
EdF’s problems are both managerial and technical. Britain’s Sky News reported at the end of April that half of the nuclear plants are shut for maintenance or concerns about stress corrosion cracking in four newer units, “forcing EDF to buy electricity from the European grid instead, at a time of soaring demand amid the gas crisis.”
The corrosion issues are particularly worrisome, although EdF insists there are no safety issues involved. In addition to the units where corrosion has been identified, EdF other reactors may also have similar problems. In a statement last week (May 18), EdF said, “Twelve reactors, currently shut down, are being inspected for stress corrosion.” All French reactors are pressurized water reactors based on early Westinghouse designs but greatly modified since.
The utility said it has found stress corrosion in two piping circuits in Civaux 1, Chooz 1, and Penly 1, all the latest 1,450-MW designs, which went into service between 2000 and 2002. Chinon 3, an earlier 905-MW unit dating to commercial operation in 1987, had corrosion in one pipe run. Inspections are ongoing at eight other prioritized reactors (Civaux 2, Chooz 2, Cattenom 3, Bugey 3, Bugey 4, Flamanville 1, Flamanville 2 and Golfech 1).
In its statement, EDF said it “carried out ultrasonic inspections, investigations on pipes samples, digital welding simulations and studies to calculate the speed of propagation of stress corrosion.
At this stage, these analyses allow EDF to confirm slow stress-corrosion propagation and to observe the existence of a compression zone which blocks the propagation of the phenomenon.”
EdF added, “Discussions are ongoing with the Autorité de sûreté nucléaire (French Nuclear Safety Authority) on the stress corrosion phenomenon inspection and repair programme.” The U.S. nuclear program had a serious outbreak of stress corrosion, which led to discernable cracks in piping and a major research program to address what was described as “intergranular stress corrosion cracking.”
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has complicated prospects for nuclear in France and the rest of Europe. Bloomberg commented, “Western Europe has for decades relied on exports of power from EDF’s nuclear fleet. The cuts are another blow to European energy security just as the region is weaning itself off Russian supplies of everything from natural gas to coal and oil because of the war in Ukraine.”
French President Emmanual Macron in February called for a “renaissance” in the long sleepy French nuclear program, which has been struggling mightily to complete a second Flamanville reactor, and the geopolitical events will likely strengthen that policy. But the timing will be a problem.
In the U.K., Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he wants to see new reactor every year, although the only project underway, Hinkley Point C, being developed by EdF, is falling behind scheduled and has recently added over $3 billion to its costs. Sky News commented, “France’s problems have raised questions about the UK’s big bets on nuclear, which the government calls a ‘necessity, not a luxury’.”
–Kennedy Maize
Twitter (kennedymaize)