Ardennes nuclear power station. Annual report, 1976

The Ardennes nuclear power station suffered two serious production setbacks in 1976 in spite of the satisfactory behavior of the equipment. The first is due to exceptionally unfavorable temperature and flow-rate conditions of the river Meuse, which caused a loss of production of about 300 million kWh. The second arises from the application of the Service des Mines regulations (decree of February 26th 1974) which in 1976 entailed the thorough inspection of the primary circuit and the ten-yearly hydraulic trial during the routine shutdown. This shutdown, intended for three months, in fact lasted an extra two weeks. Calculating the immobilization necessary for a general revision of the material, the production loss ascribable to statutory inspection may also estimated to 300 GWh. The net energy produced was 1362 GWh, the number of hours connected 5536h, the availability coefficient in time 62%, the total number of shutdowns 14. The equipment as a whole works very well. The tests carried out on the occasion of the ten-yearly trial showed the state of the main circuit to be perfectly satisfactoy, while inspections during the hydraulic trial at 207 bar revealed no anomalies. Where the behavior of the steam generators is concerned, only 20 tubes over a total of 6500 have been obstructed since the unit was started up in 1967. The cost per kWh electric of the station is 8.82 French centimes