Nuclear France: materials and sites

By Mary Byrd Davis

 
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RHONE-ALPES

BUGEY

Purpose: production of electricity and plutonium

Installations: Bugey 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5

Type: natural uranium graphite gas reactors (Bugey 1) and pressurized water reactors (Bugey 2-5, class CPO)

Location: Loyettes (Ain), on the Rhône, east of Lyon

Operator: Electricité de France

Period of operation: since 1972 (Bugey 1, 1972-1994; Bugey 2 and 3 went critical in 1978 and Bugey 4 and 5 in 1979)

Fuel: natural uranium metal and low-enriched uranium oxide

Nuclear materials: uranium, plutonium, tritium

Nominal capacity: Bugey 1, 540 MW electric net; Bugey 2 and 3, 910 MW electric net; Bugey 4 and 5, 880 MW electric net

Actual production: total at end of 2000, 55.8TWh net (57.2 TWh gros)  + 442.9 TWh net (111.3, 112.1, 108.2, 110.4 TWh net respectively)

The dismantling of Bugety 1 to level 2 was planned to begin in 2000 [Andra 00].  The analysis of safety documents relative to the phase of partial dismantlement of the reactor, transmitted by EDF at the beginning of 1999, led DSIN in 2000 to ask the operator to review "in depth" its safety efforts.  Updating of the documents, which will again be studied, was planned for 2001.  

Since 1994, a maintenance workshop has been in operation at the site. It repairs primary pumps for all French nuclear installations. EDF also has a storage site for new nuclear fuel at Bugey, designed to receive uranium fuel with enrichment lower than 5%, the Magasin Interrégional de Bugey (INB 102) (Bugey Interregional Storage Site).

 

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