Crack discovered at Penly 1 reactor, says French nuclear watchdog

By Nur Asena Erturk

ANKARA (AA) – France’s state-controlled utility and nuclear power operator EDF has discovered a stress corrosion crack at its Penly 1 nuclear reactor.

After the discovery of the crack, which is 155 millimeters long and 23 millimeters deep, France's Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) on March 7 asked the company to "review its strategy" for repairing its power plants.

The crack shows that the pipes are no longer resistant, ASN said in a statement, adding the incident had no consequences on the staff or the environment.

"However, it affects the safety regarding the cooling of the reactor," the statement said.

EDF had already reported cracks at the Civaux nuclear power station in western France in October 2021.

France struggled late last year while maintaining its power plants and risked power shortages during the winter.

A report by French electricity network RTE in February showed that the country's electricity generation has been at its lowest in 30 years due to low nuclear power production.

Nuclear sources constituted 62.7% of France's electricity generation in 2022, according to the report, compared with 69% in 2021.

As a result, nuclear production was at its lowest since 1988. It dropped 30% in 2022 compared to the average level of the last two decades, said RTE.