France: lifetime extension of 1300 MW reactor fleet
2024-09-27
The 20 reactors of the 1300 MW fleet were originally designed for operation of 40 years. Now their lifetime shall be extended. A consultation is ongoing until 30 Sept 2024, but only for generic aspects of the fourth Periodic Safety Review.
Even after performing the envisaged lifetime extension program, a considerable gap between the safety level of the 1300 MW reactor and new reactor types like the EPR will persist. For the 1300 MW reactors a core melt accident with a major release is possible today and will remain possible after the implementation of the currently envisaged lifetime extension program.
When regarding this unacceptably high risk, it is not enough to offer a voluntary consultation only on technological safety aspects like the ongoing consultation is about. The risk to humans and environment resulting from severe accidents and from nuclear waste management has to be assessed and presented to the public, also from other European countries, in a transboundary Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA).
Moreover, we demand a transboundary Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for every lifetime extension of an old NPP beyond the originally foreseen lifetime of 40 years, especially in the lights of the new developments in the framework of the Espoo and Aarhus Convention which clarified the EIA obligation for NPP life-time extensions.
We urge France to prepare for the shut-down of the old NPP fleet and to replace plans for nuclear newbuild with an increased deployment of renewable energies sources.