ASN Report 2020

3. Outlook In 2021, ASN actions in the field of NPP oversight will more specifically concern the following topics. The periodic safety reviews After issuing a position statement on the generic conditions for the continued operation of the 900 MWe reactors beyond their fourth periodic safety review, ASN will examine the periodic safety review concluding reports for the first reactors concerned. ASN will also continue to examine the generic phase of the fourth periodic safety review of the 1,300 MWe reactors. Compliance of the facilities with their baseline design, construction and operating requirements ASN will continue to be particularly attentive to the conformity of the facilities in 2021 and will in this respect continue its inspections of the condition of equipment and systems. It will ensure that the new EDF baseline for processing deviations is able to satisfactorily meet the regulatory obligations linked to the detection and processing of deviations and reporting to ASN. ASN will also be particularly vigilant to EDF’s correct perfor­ mance of the facilities compliance inspection programme during the fourth ten-yearly outages of several 900 MWe reactors. Oversight of the Flamanville EPR reactor ASN will continue to oversee the preparation of the various documents supporting operation, equipment conservation measures and the conditions for the preparation and performance of secondary system weld repairs. The nuclear safety inspectors will continue with inspections at a sustained rate. ASN will continue to examine the commissioning authorisation application, will examine the start-up test results and will continue with its assessment of the compliance of the NPE most important for safety. Oversight of Nuclear Pressure Equipment In recent years, oversight of NPE has been marked by a number of major events: the detection of problems linked to carbon segregation in certain forged components, irregularities that could be considered to be falsifications, notably at Framatome’s Creusot Forge plant and on the Ancizes site of Aubert et Duval, and problems with quality control on the welds of the Flamanville EPR reactor and heat treatment of the SG welds. In 2021, ASN will carry out work to monitor these events and will also continue with work to prevent such problems from happening again. ASN Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2020 319 10 – THE EDF NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS 10