Flamanville EPR in Manche is up and running after a mammoth construction project. Building this next-generation nuclear reactor has been one of the biggest industrial projects in recent years. The low-carbon electricity it produces will help France gain energy independence.
Top 10 facts about the Flamanville EPR
- 57th nuclear reactor in France, 4th working EPR in the world
- 1650 MWe (megawatt electric) of power
- 13 TWh (erawatt hours) in annual production, enough to supply 3 million French households
- 60 year operating life
- 4500 jobs during construction
- 1400 permanent jobs (EDF and partners) in operations and maintenance
- 400,000m3 of concrete
- 50,000 tons of framework
- 1800km of pipelines
- Cost: 13.2 billion EUR (EDF)
The Flamanville EPR fired up on September 5th 2024. It’s the first nuclear reactor to be commissioned in France in 25 years… It’s a milestone moment that marks the end of a building project that has had its fair share of interest and criticism.
A reactor that’s more powerful, safer and energy-efficient
French and German manufacturers, Framatome (then Areva) and Siemens, first brought us the European Pressurised Reactor (EPR) in the late 1980s. It took a million hours of R&D to create the next-generation pressurised water reactor.
With evolution over contention in mind, the reactor is more powerful (1650 MWe for Flamanville 3 compared to 1300 MWe for Flamanville 1-2) and safer than its predecessors. The technology makes the risk of nuclear meltdown 10 times smaller and significantly improves radiation protection among workers. The EPR is also designed to consume less fuel (17% less per unit of energy produced) and use MOX, a mixture of depleted nuclear fuel.
A mammoth project
The government agreed to the first EPR on French soil in 2004. Given the ageing nuclear power plants in France and the soaring demand for electricity, its construction would secure the country’s future energy needs. EDF, the project managers, chose Flamanville, in Manche, to play host to the nuclear giant. The site only had 2 out of the 4 planned reactors (Flamanville 1-2) and still had enough space. Its seaside location meant a constant supply of the cold water required by nuclear reactors, along with mild climate conditions.
Construction officially began in 2007. Bouygues Travaux Publics, Quille Construction and DTP were commissioned to design and build the EPR’s containment building. There are a total of 12 buildings (including 4 separate control buildings), the machine room and the containment structure for the reactor itself. The figures are mind-boggling: 400,000m3 of concrete, 50,000 tons of framework and 1800km of pipelines.
It was an extraordinary project that involved mammoth quantities and resources. For example, there were twenty-odd tower cranes working at the same time in a confined area, wedged between the cliffs and the sea
The highly technical nature of the installation and security demands saw the companies use cutting-edge materials and techniques. “We’d never dealt with such complex reinforced concrete before. The engineers had to do in-depth research to find technically-achievable solutions whilst upholding the very high standards of security that were expected,” says Jean-Charles Philippart, now director of the Rouen branch of Bouygues Travaux Publics Régions France.
Operational authorisation was granted in May 2024
Despite a few setbacks (vessel and welding faults, stricter standards post-Fukushima) that caused delays and extra costs, the project continued with an avid audience. The apron (concrete foundation for the reactor building, fuel building and control buildings) was laid in 2008 and the engine house was completed in 2011. The reactor dome (240 tons in itself) was built in 2013 before the vessel appeared the following year. The steam generators and pressuriser were installed in the reactor building in 2015 before the concrete containment structure was complete.
The EPR represents the best of French civil engineering
Building work on the Flamanville EPR ended in early 2024 after 16 years of work and 600 inspections by the ASN Nuclear Safety Authority. The ASN granted EDF authorisation to operate the EPR on May 7th 2024. The next day, EDF commenced the first fuel load to begin the reactor’s operations. The Flamanville EPR will be connected to the network in autumn 2024. In the long term, it will provide 3 million French households with low-carbon electricity (electricity generation from nuclear power emits very little CO2).
The EPR’s economic and social impact on the region
Thousands of direct and indirect jobs were created to fulfil the site’s needs, with locals accounting for over half of the workforce from the outset. The EPR was awarded the “Grand Chantier” major site label in 2008, which helped recruit and train 1400 local jobseekers. It also helped fund 58 projects in every sector (highway infrastructures, childcare, sport, health, economy) for the benefit of the EPR’s staff (EDF figures).
The EPR technology has proven France’s ability to develop cutting-edge nuclear technology and has already been exported to China (two reactors operating since 2018 and 2019) and Finland (launched in 2021). There are also two EPRs under construction at Hinkley Point C in the UK.
In February 2022, the French President announced 6 smaller EPRs would be built. EDF plans to build the first two EPR 2 plants in Penly, Seine-Maritime. Operations are expected to begin in 2035.
Thematics
