Nuclear plant of Chinon

The nuclear plant of Chinon is located close to Chinon on the territory of the commune of Avoine (Indre-et-Loire), out of left bank of the the Loire, between Saumur (25 km downstream) and Tours (50 km upstream).

The power station gathers 3 nuclear reactors of the die graphite-gases (UNGG), stopped since respectively 1973, 1985 and 1990. Four new engines of the die REFERENCE MARK were brought into service in 1984 for two of them, and in 1987 and 1988. These engines are cooled by the water of the the Loire.

Approximately 1200 people work in this power station. The power station was the subject of an special attention of the French media following three suicides of employees in 2006-2007.

Seismic risk

According to a report/ratio of the Nuclear Authority of Safety going back to October 2002, certain functions of safeguard ensuring the cooling of the engine could not be assured more in the event of seism.

A seism magnitude 4 whose epicentre is located almost under the power station of Chinon was recorded on November 5th, 2006 with 01:37. It was felt until Angers and Beaupréau.

Risk fire

September 7th, 2004, the nuclear Autorité of safety organized an inspection, in the continuity of the inspections of December 16th, 2003 and the 12 May 13rd, 2004, which had revealed organisational gaps in the fire control. This third inspection did not highlight of significant progress on the effectiveness of the fire control. One of the reasons for which the team of second intervention did not arrive on the spot of the simulated disaster that 53 minutes after alarm is that the door of material access of the building of the nuclear auxiliaries, however especially arranged for an rapid access of the operating teams, did not open.

From March 7th to 11th 2005, an inspection was programmed by the ASN, in which took part of the inspectors of the head office and regional divisions of Bordeaux, Châlons-in-Champagne, Lyon and Orleans, as well as an expert of IRSN. According to a report of the ASN, the local teams of intervention must, in Chinon as on the majority of the other nuclear plants, to improve their practices taking into account the dependant stakes with the risk sets fire to.

List installations of the power station

Engines

Chinon A1/EDF1 : engine of the type graphite-gas (die UNGG), stopped in 1973 (1st French nuclear plant)
Chinon A2/EDF2: engine of the type graphite-gas (die UNGG), stopped in 1985
Chinon A3/EDF3: engine of the type graphite-gas (die UNGG), stopped in 1990
Chinon B1: pressurized water reactor (die REFERENCE MARK)
Chinon B2: pressurized water reactor (die REFERENCE MARK)
Chinon B3: pressurized water reactor (die REFERENCE MARK)
Chinon B4: pressurized water reactor (die REFERENCE MARK)

Other installations

Chinon A1 is since 1986 the Museum of the Atom.
Workshop of irradiated materials (FRIENDLY)
Group INTRA (Robot-like Intervention on accidents)

External bonds

Central of Chinon on the site of Central EDF
of Chinon on the site of the ASN
Seen satellite on Wikimapia: The power station of Chinon
Chinon B1:
Chinon B2 :
Chinon B3 :
Chinon B4 :

References

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