In their post-Fukushima review of reactors’ emergency preparedness, French regulatory agencies said their country’s plants are safe but should be made more so by enhancing a number of safety systems.
On Thursday, the Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire gave the report to the Autorite de Surete Nucleaire, which will further review its findings and publish its conclusions early next year. The document stresses improvements to plant safety related to beyond-design-basis accidents and severe natural disasters in light of the earthquake and tsunami that overwhelmed the Fukushima plant in March.
In an interview with Reuters, IRSN head Jacques Repussard said those precautions should include additional protections for emergency cooling and electrical systems, such as a protected diesel generator separate from the others. He also mentioned specific plants that would benefit from enhanced protection from earthquakes or flooding, as well as contingencies for accidents at multiple reactors within the same plant.
Any changes to French plant designs will have significant costs to Electricite de France. EDF operates France’s 58 pressurized water reactors that provide three fourths of the country’s electricity, according to the World Nuclear Association.