Saint‑Laurent‑des‑Eaux silos The installation, which was authorised by the Decree of 14 June 1971, comprises two silos which are used to store irradiated graphite sleeves from operation of the GCRs of Saint-Laurent A. The static containment of this waste is ensured by the concrete structures of the silo bunkers which are sealed by a steel liner. In 2010, EDF installed a geotechnical containment around the silos, reinforcing the control of the risk of dissemination of radioactive substances, which is the main risk presented by the installation. Operation of this installation is limited to surveillance and upkeep measures: radiological monitoring inspections and measurements in the silos, checking there is no water ingress, checking the relative humidity, the dose rates around the silos, the activity of the water table, and monitoring the condition of civil engineering structures. In the context of the change of decommissioning strategy for the GCRs, EDF announced in 2016 its decision to start removing the graphite sleeves from the silos without waiting for a definitive graphite waste disposal route to become available. To this end, EDF envisages creating a new graphite sleeve storage facility on the Saint‑Laurent‑des-Eaux site. The final shutdown notification for the facility was sent by EDF in March 2022. At the end of 2022, EDF submitted the silo decommissioning file, integrating the silo emptying operations for the recovery and repackaging of the graphite waste and creation of the future graphite waste package storage facility. Based on the current assumptions made in the file currently being assessed, silo emptying should begin in the early 2030s. ASNR notes, however, that the safety measures planned for decommissioning and presented in the decommissioning dossier submitted in 2022 need to be completed. In addition, in 2026, EDF must decide on a modification to the desilting project, which could delay the planned decommissioning schedule. ASNR will continue to monitor the progress of the studies and ensure that a reasonable decommissioning schedule is maintained. In 2025, ASNR found during its inspection that the risks associated with flooding were being managed satisfactorily. Centre‑Val de Loire ABSTRACTS – ASNR Report on the state of nuclear safety and radiation protection in France in 2025 55
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