Report into safety issues at nuclear power station due soon

Friday 06 January 2017

France’s nuclear power watchdog has commissioned an investigation into safety fears over the construction of a new reactor at Flamanville.

The plant is on the Cotentin peninsula, 30 miles to the north-east of Jersey.

The ASN – Autorite de Surete Nucleaire - began the latest investigation after tests suggested too much carbon had been used in the steel being used to construct the reactor. This could mean it’s more brittle than it should be, and lead to a higher risk of major structural problems and ultimately a radioactive leak.

The ASN says it expects the results of that investigation to be available soon. 

There have also been unsubstantiated claims in the international media about the quality assurance processes for making components for nuclear power stations such as Flamanville, and others around the world. 

Work on Flamanville 3 began in December 2007 and the plant was expected to be online by 2012. Five years on that’s still not happened and the costs have skyrocketed from €3.3 billion to €10.5 billion, with the new facility not expected now to open until the end of next year at the earliest. 

The existing Flamanville plant was commissioned in the mid-1980's. 

The Channel Islands is not only in sight of Flamanville, which sits under a cliff face to the south of Dielette, it is also close to Cap de la Hague – one of the world’s largest nuclear reprocessing sites. The Island’s Environmental Health Unit regularly tests milk, seafood and seaweed for radioactivity, which consistently show negligible levels.