LES ACTIVITÉS NUCLÉAIRES : RAYONNEMENTS IONISANTS ET RISQUES POUR LA SANTÉ ET L’ENVIRONNEMENT The Fessenheim NPP was definitively shut down in 2020. EDF submitted the decommissioning file for this facility in November 2020. In April 2022, ASN asked the GPDEM to examine the file for which it issued a favourable opinion in June 2023, subject to EDF providing further information before starting decommissioning of the reactor vessels and their internal components. The Environmental Authority issued its opinion on this file in December 2023; the file then underwent a public inquiry in spring 2024, the opinion and conclusions of which were delivered in June 2024. These will be the first two 900 Megawatts electric (MWe) reactors to be decommissioned in France and are representative of the fleet of reactors currently operated by EDF. Decommissioning of the Fessenheim reactors will thus provide EDF with considerable experience feedback for its other PWRs. So far, the preparatory work for decommissioning is proceeding satisfactorily and according to schedule (see “Regional overview” in the introduction to this report). At the beginning of 2026, ASNR will publish its opinion on the draft decommissioning decree proposed by the services of the Minister responsible for nuclear safety. ASNR is also reviewing the modification of the resolutions governing water intakes and discharges, as these will be amended to meet the needs of decommissioning. 2.1.2 – Nuclear power reactors other than pressurised water reactors The nuclear power reactors that are not PWRs are all industrial prototypes. These comprise the first-generation Gas-Cooled Reactors (GCRs), the EL4-D heavy water reactor on the Brennilis site, and the sodium-cooled fast-neutron reactors Phénix and Superphénix. The decommissioning of these reactors is characterised by the lack of prior experience in France or elsewhere in the world, and the fact that when they were designed, the prospect of their future decommissioning was not as fundamental a concern as it may have been for the more recent reactor series. In view of their unique nature, specific and complex operations have to be devised and carried out to decommission them. Furthermore, some of these reactors have been shut down for several decades, which has led to loss of knowledge of the installation and its operation and loss of the associated skills. As with the PWRs, decommissioning begins with the removal of the nuclear fuel, which removes 99% of the radioactivity present in the installation. As these reactors have relatively high thermal power (all greater than 250 Megawatts thermal – MWth), their decommissioning requires the use of remotely operated means in certain highly irradiating zones, particularly in the vicinity of the reactor core. The GCRs have the particularity of being extremely massive and large-sized reactors, necessitating innovative cutting and access techniques under highly irradiating conditions. The decommissioning of these reactors will oblige EDF to manage significant volumes of waste. The final disposal route for some of this waste is currently being determined, such as for the graphite bricks, representing some 15,000 tonnes of waste that will be produced, for which appropriate disposal will have to be defined (see chapter 13, point 1.3.3). In 2026, ASNR will complete the technical review of the decommissioning files for these six reactors (see point 4.1). Decommissioning of the prototype heavy water reactor (EL4-D) on the Brennilis site has been slowed down, firstly due to the lack of prior experience in the decommissioning techniques to use, and secondly due to difficulties concerning the Conditioning and Storage Facility for Activated Waste (Iceda) which must take in some of this decommissioning waste. Given that Iceda is now in service and the reactor building decommissioning scenario has been established, At least two years before the planned shutdown date, the licensee must inform the Minister responsible for nuclear safety and ASNR of its intention to definitively shut down its facility. This notification is made public. The licensee must submit the decommissioning file to the Minister no later than two years after shutdown notification. This file sets out the decommissioning operations projected by the licensee and the measures it takes to limit the impacts on persons and the environment. 2 years maximum Transmission of decommissioning file Shutdown notification As of the date of final shutdown, the licensee is no longer authorised to operate its facility. The license starts to prepare for the decommissioning of its facility. The decommissioning preparation operations often consist in removing the radioactive and chemical substances present in the facility (spent fuel), reorganising the premises (to create storage areas) or adapting the utility networks (ventilation, electrical power distribution). Final shutdown END OF OPERATION Phases in the life cycle of a Basic Nuclear Installation DECOMMISSIONING PREPARATORY PHASE 340 ASNR Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2025
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