EDF delays Civaux, takes Chooz reactors offline impacting 5.6 GW after detecting faults

French utility EDF is to take offline two 1.3 GW reactors at Chooz for preventative maintenance after discovering a fault at the two 1.5 GW reactors at Civaux, delaying their return by a combined five months into Q2 2022, it said late Dec. 15.

Defaults were detected close to the welds on the pipes of the safety injection system (SIS1) in the primary circuit of reactor number 1 of the Civaux nuclear plant, EDF said adding that checks on reactor 2 taken offline Nov. 19 revealed similar defects.

"Today, a decision has been taken to replace the affected parts on the two Civaux reactors...which leads to extend the shutdown of the two reactors," EDF said in a statement after market close Dec. 15.

The works add a combined five months of unavailability mainly impacting Q1, EDF transparency notes show.

In addition, EDF has taken the decision to shut down two reactors at Chooz to carry out the same checks on the SIS circuit which can only be done when reactors are offline.

Chooz 2 will be shut down Dec. 16 and Chooz 1 Dec. 18, with both currently scheduled for a Jan. 23 return.

Nuclear safety authority ASN was informed, EDF said.

French baseload power for January, already trading at an all-time high, traded at Eur530/MWh in early trading Dec. 16 on EEX.

REPLACEMENT, CHECKS ON SIS1 SAFETY SYSTEM

Source: EDF Transparency