This Is Guernsey

Problems at Flamanville have been corrected, says EDF.

ELECTRICITE DE FRANCE says it has corrected problems with its new nuclear plant at Flamanville.

A safety report by the French Nuclear Safety Authority that was leaked to Greenpeace France identified several issues with the third-generation station currently under construction.

EdF has written to the Home Department to reassure the island there is nothing to worry about. It said the inspection had revealed the need for EdF to improve its supervision of the work. ‘In particular, a few minor production disparities were noted,’ said EdF. These were immediately corrected and have no impact on the safety and quality of the future reactor.

‘EdF has also put in place measures to strengthen its supervisory staff and processes throughout the site. All arrangements have therefore been made to ensure that quality requirements remain central to the construction process of the European Pressurised Reactor at Flamanville.’

Guernsey gets regular updates and reports from Flamanville and the nuclear reprocessing site at La Hague.

Greenpeace UK anti-nuclear spokesman Nathan Argent said the safety report had raised serious concerns.

‘Although the concrete posts being used were substandard, they were going to continue to put concrete over them.

‘It’s more by coincidence that the authority picked up these deficiencies and said they had to be rectified in one month or work would be stopped,’ he said.

‘The French government and the company have been trying to sell this technology as safe, tried and tested, but that’s not the case.’

He said the threat of an accident was real and that the plant would also be vulnerable to terrorist attacks.

‘The project is still at the very early stages of construction. When you think about the wider ramifications should something go wrong, it doesn’t bear thinking about for the people of Guernsey or the south of England.’

Article posted on 15th April, 2008 - 1.15pm