France’s Autorite de Surete Nucleaire (ASN – Nuclear Safety Authority) said on 13 September that it had placed France’s Belleville NPP operated by EDF, under increased supervision because of a decline in safety levels noted since 2016. The Belleville plant has two 1,310 MWe pressurised water reactors that began commercial operation in June 1998 and January 1989.
ASN said several reasons had led it to the decision, including an increasing number of significant events resulting from a lack of supervision.
“ASN also noted several failures by the operator in identifying and analysing the consequences of anomalies affecting certain safety-critical equipment,” it said in a statement. There were eight events classified at Level 1 on the International Atomic Energy Agency’s International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale. ASN noted several failures by the operator in identifying and analysing anomalies affecting safety critical equipment as well as a deterioration in the quality of answers provided by EDF about the incidents. During an inspection carried out in April, ASN identified organisational shortcomings. The increased oversight will include additional controls and the monitoring of organisational changes. ASN will monitor an action plan that is being put in place by EDF and another inspection will be carried out in 2018 .
