Results of the generic review of 900 M We reactors

The periodic safety review (P.S.R.) related to third ten-yearly outage of the 900 MW PWR series, which is the oldest French series with 34 reactors, was Launched in 2002 and enclosed in the end of 2008, six months before the first third ten-yearly outage of a 900 MW reactor, Tricastin 1, planned in may 2009. Although this P.S.R. has the same main objectives as the previous P.S.R. related to the 900 and 1300 MW series (to verify the conformity of the NPPs to their current safety requirements and to enhance their safety level taking into account the most recent safety requirements), numerous new scopes of safety studies have been introduced or developed, as, for example, level 2 probabilistic safety assessment, severe accident studies, external hazards due to extreme weather conditions, or plant ageing. I.R.S.N. has considered that the reassessed safety requirements, applicable to the reactors after their third ten-yearly outage and implementation of the modification batch resulting from the conclusions of the reassessment studies, were satisfactory to continue the operation of the 900 MW series ten more years. However, I.R.S.N. has underlined that the safety level of each reactor will have to be confirmed by the result of the conformity check of the units and by the program designed by each operator to control the plant ageing. (author)