Brussels, 04/10/2012 (Agence Europe) - The 145 nuclear reactors located in the EU, which are either in activity or decommissioned, have passed the stress tests successfully. However, although high safety standards are confirmed, improvements have still to be made, which could cost up to €30 billion.
No closures required. After 18 months of work, the European Commission adopted and unveiled, on Thursday 4 October, its final report on the stress testing of European nuclear power plants - and also of the nuclear plants of its neighbours, Switzerland and Ukraine. The stress tests show plants' ability to resist extreme natural occurrences (earthquakes, floods, etc.) and to stand up to the various technical failures that could entail the loss of normal safety functions in the installations, as was the case during the accident in Fukushima, Japan, in March 2011. Further testing was also carried out on power plants to show how they fared in the event of severe accidents. “Generally, the situation is satisfactory but there is no room for complacency”, said Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger, who said no plant should stop working but that there is potential for improvement nearly everywhere.
Hundreds of failings, almost everywhere. The stress tests brought to light several areas where the highest international norms recommended by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and best practices are not totally applied by all member states. Thus, given the risk of earthquake, recent norms for calculating seismic risk were not applied in 54 of the 145 reactors checked (37%). Similarly, given the risk of flooding, recent risk calculation norms were lacking in the conception of 62 of the reactors in Europe (43%). In both cases, the risk calculation should be based on a 10,000 year time frame instead of the much shorter time periods sometimes used. Tests have also shown that, despite a low level of exposure, the minimum level of internationally recommenced seismic risk was not respected in seismic risk studies on 65 reactors (45%) Furthermore, there are insufficiencies in the European nuclear plants regarding the protection of safety equipment intended for emergency intervention in the event of severe accidents. In 81 reactors, the equipment is not stored in places protected even against general devastation, in specially protected areas. On-site seismic instruments to measure and sound a warning of possible earthquakes should be available at every nuclear power plant. These instruments should be installed or improved in 121 reactors (83%). Also, a backup emergency control room should be available in case the main control room becomes inhabitable in the event of accident. These are not yet available in 24 reactors (17%).
Work to cost up to €30 billion. Although it does not recommend that any reactors are closed down, the Commission report does evaluate at between €10 and €25 billion the cost of immediate improvements to the European nuclear power plants, i.e. around €30-200 million per plant. With 19 power plants and 58 reactors (40% of the European total), France obviously takes pride of place.
Compliance by 2014. Once forwarded to the European Council, these recommendations - which are not binding - should be followed by national action plans with timetables for implementation, to be made available by national regulators by end 2012. The action plans will go through peer reviews in early 2013 in order to verify that the stress tests' recommendations are consistently applied. The Commission will report on the implementation of the stress test recommendations in June 2014, in full partnership with national regulators (ENSREG).
Nuclear safety assessed in parallel. After a first examination concluded end October 2011 by the operators, the safety of nuclear power plants in the EU was the subject, in a second phase, of an assessment by national safety regulators, concluded in December 2011. In a third phase, national assessments were the subject of a peer review conducted by experts of other member states and the Commission, coordinated by ENSREG. Although questions relating to nuclear safety - aircraft crashes, terrorist attacks, acts of malice - were assessed in parallel, but separately, in the context of work by an ad hoc Council group, the conclusions of which were submitted in June this year (see EUROPE 10628), only the case of air crashes was taken into consideration, to a certain degree, in the stress tests.
Revising the legal arsenal. In addition to the stress tests, the European Commission will be proposing, by spring 2013, revision of the European legal framework on nuclear safety, which is governed by a 2009 directive. Amendments proposed will mainly bear on safety requirements, the role and prerogatives of the national safety regulators, transparency and follow-up. Commissioner Oettinger will also table, in 2013, proposals on insurance and responsibility in the nuclear sphere, and on the maximum admissible levels of radioactive contamination in foodstuffs. (EH/transl.jl)