NUCLEAR RESEARCH FACILITIES AND VARIOUS NUCLEAR INSTALLATIONS

The research and other installations regulated by ASN differ widely, but are usually small in size. ASN will continue to concentrate on regulating the safety and radiation protection of these installations as a whole and on comparing practices per type of installation in order to choose the best ones and thus encourage operating experience feedback.

It is in this spirit that ASN as defined priorities for the submittal of the complementary safety assessments concerning the nuclear facilities other than the power reactors. A prior analysis was conducted to assess the risks in the light of the experience feedback from the Fukushima Daiichi accident and the "potential source term". In effect, given the diversity of the nuclear fleet, each facility must be studied individually.

In 2012, over and beyond the follow-ups that will be given to the complementary safety assessments received in 2011, ASN will examine those for:

• 9 other CEA facilities (PÉGASE, CABRI, RAPSODIE, MCMF, LECA, Cadarache storage yard, CHICADE, ORPHÉE, ATALANTE);
• support functions on the Cadarache and Marcoule sites;
• the inter-regional fuel warehouses;
• ITER;
• CIS bio international installation.

Moreover, ASN considers that the "major commitments" initiative implemented by the CEA over the last 4 years must be continued and regularly expanded to include new "major commitments". This system effectively allows targeted tracking of priority actions, which have a clearly set deadlines. Any extension to the deadline must therefore firstly be duly justified, and secondly be discussed with ASN. Even though the system can still be improved, and some deadlines have now been pushed back significantly with respect to the initial due dates, the results are globally positive. ASN will nevertheless remain particularly vigilant and could, if necessary, take decisions of a prescriptive nature.

In 2012 ASN will continue to pay particular attention to new projects such as the JHR, the GANIL extension, the ITER facility, and the restarting of the CABRI installation. It will also be attentive to meeting deadlines for transfer of nuclear materials stored in the MCMF, the EOLE and MINERVE reactors, and MASURCA, to the new MAGENTA facility.

ASN will examine the conclusions of the periodic safety review of the GANIL facility and of the CIS Bio International installation in order to decide on the acceptability of mediumto long-term continuation of their operation.

Moreover, in 2012, ASN will examine - via the examination of the ASTRID prototype project and work on fourth-generation "Generation IV" reactors (also see chapter 12) - the operating experience feedback from the fast neutron reactors (PHÉNIX, SUPERPHÉNIX and RAPSODIE, now shutdown), as well as the information requested from the CEA/EDF/AREVA consortium for comparison, in terms of safety, of the different systems. This will be part of the preparatory work to enable ASN to adopt a position at the end of 2012 on the interim report relative to the possibilities of transferring the long-lived waste, provided for by the "Waste act" of 28 June 2006.

Finally, in 2012 ASN will continue to promote international harmonisation on the safety of research reactors. It will also continue to be an active contributor to international reflection into the aging of installations and the safety of supply of radionuclides for medical use.