Small modular reactor project in Savigny-en-Véron Newcleo is planning to build a small modular lead-cooled reactor at Savigny-en-Véron (37) (see chapter 9 of the full ASNR Report) and a MOX (Mixed OXides) fuel fabrication plant at Pont-sur-Seine and Marnay-sur-Seine (10) (see chapter 11 of the full ASNR Report). In this context, on 13 December 2024 and 19 December 2025, it submitted two requests for advice to ASNR on safety options concerning the fuel fabrication plant project and the small modular reactor project respectively. In 2026, a public debate will be held jointly for these two projects, under the aegis of the French National Commission for Public Debate (CNDP). Saint‑Laurent‑des‑Eaux site The Saint-Laurent-des-Eaux site, situated on the banks of the river Loire in the municipality of Saint‑Laurent‑Nouan in the Loir‑et‑Cher département, comprises various nuclear installations, some of them in operation and others undergoing decommissioning. The Saint‑Laurent‑des‑Eaux NPP has two 900 MWe reactors in operation, B1 and B2, which were commissioned in 1980 and 1981 and constitute BNI 100. The site also features two old GCRs, A1 and A2, currently in the decommissioning phase, and two silos for storing the graphite sleeves from the operation of reactors A1 and A2. Saint‑Laurent‑des‑Eaux nuclear power plant Reactors B1 and B2 in operation ASNR considers that the performance of the Saint-Laurent-desEaux NPP with regard to nuclear safety, radiation protection and environmental protection is in line with the general assessment of EDF plant performance. In terms of nuclear safety, ASNR notes an overall improvement in the performance of the Saint-Laurent-des-Eaux NPP in 2025. Progress has been noted in the rigour of control room supervision, and fire risk management is satisfactory. However, ASNR is keeping a close eye on the rigorousness and maintenance of skills in the field of normal reactor operation. In terms of maintenance, the site’s performance has improved in a busy industrial context, marked by the completion of the fourth tenyearly outage of reactor 1 in 2025. ASNR also notes significant progress in the characterisation and handling of anomalies compared with previous years. On the other hand, the number of malfunctions in support, reactivity control and cooling systems is still higher than at EDF’s other NPPs. In the field of radiation protection, ASNR considers that, despite a drop in the number of significant events reported, the overall results of the Saint-Laurent-des-Eaux NPP remain fragile. Major improvements are still required in terms of site preparation and monitoring the radiological cleanliness of premises. In terms of environmental protection, the radiation protection performance of the Saint‑Laurent‑des‑Eaux NPP deteriorated in 2025. While liquid and gaseous emissions remain under control overall, the management of fluorinated gases and of the site’s waste disposal site needs to be improved. Greater account must also be taken of non-radiological risks. Inspections carried out by ASNR revealed that the requirements of the hazard study had not been fully transposed into the site’s procedures. In terms of labour inspections, an accident that occurred in 2025 led to major investigations by ASNR, highlighting the need for improvement in site management, particularly in the choice of work equipment. In addition, in the light of the inspections carried out, improvements are still needed in the management of the risk of an explosive atmosphere and of ventilation and clean-up facilities. Reactors A1 and A2 undergoing decommissioning The former Saint‑Laurent‑des‑Eaux NPP constitutes a BNI comprising two “integrated” GCRs, A1 and A2. These first-generation reactors used natural uranium as the fuel, graphite as the moderator and were cooled by gas. Their final shutdown was declared in 1990 and 1992 respectively. Complete decommissioning of the installation was authorised by the Decree of 18 May 2010. On completion of the analysis of the periodic safety review concluding reports for all the GCRs, ASN indicated in December 2021 that it has no objection to the continued operation of BNI 46 (Saint‑Laurent reactors A1 and A2). ASNR will verify during the examination of the new decommissioning files for these reactors, which were submitted by EDF in late 2022 to set out the new “in air” decommissioning strategy, that the decommissioning operations will be carried out under suitable conditions of safety and radiation protection, within controlled time frames. In 2025, EDF continued to carry out decommissioning work outside the reactor concrete containment structure of the Saint‑Laurent A1 and Saint-Laurent A2 reactors. In addition, the clean-up of hydrocarbon-polluted soil in the area of the former transformers of the Saint‑Laurent A2 reactor, authorised by a resolution of ASN in 2023, was completed in 2025. ASNR considers that the level of safety of the Saint‑Laurent‑ des‑Eaux A reactors is satisfactory. During its inspections, ASNR noted that the premises and worksites were generally well maintained and that the risks associated with flooding were being managed satisfactorily overall. However, if the management of periodic inspections and tests is deemed satisfactory, efforts are needed to ensure that certain internal procedures are kept up to date. Centre‑Val de Loire 54 ABSTRACTS – ASNR Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2025
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