Probabilistic safety assessments at EDF

The paper discusses the background of probabilistic studies at Electricite de France; the PSA 1300 project (a probabilistic safety assessment of a standardized 1300 MW pressurized water reactor) including features of the assessment, e.g., level, scope of the assessment, methodological content, basis of French operating experience, and work toward a living assessment; results and lessons to be drawn including risk level, distribution of the risk, and main sequences; and other observations such as shutdown states, the human factor, and contribution of the characteristics in the French safety process; limits of the assessment; and uses in France. The PSA 1300 has now been completed. Some major lessons have been drawn from this assessment while taking account of the identified limits of probabilistic assessment