Saint-Alban Nuclear Power Plant

Saint-Alban Nuclear Power Plant
Overview over the power plant site
Official name Centrale nucléaire de Saint-Alban
Country France
Location Saint-Alban-du-Rhône, Isère, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Coordinates 45°24′16″N 4°45′19″E / 45.40444°N 4.75528°E / 45.40444; 4.75528Coordinates: 45°24′16″N 4°45′19″E / 45.40444°N 4.75528°E / 45.40444; 4.75528
Status Operational
Construction began Unit 1: January 29, 1979
Unit 2: July 31, 1979
Commission date Unit 1: May 1, 1986
Unit 2: March 1, 1987
Owner(s) EDF
Operator(s) EDF
Nuclear power station
Reactor type PWR
Reactor supplier Framatome
Cooling source Rhône River
Power generation
Units operational 2 × 1335 MW
Make and model P4 REP 1300
Thermal capacity 2 × 3817 MWth
Nameplate capacity 2670 MW
Capacity factor 61.54% (2017)
67.90% (lifetime)
Annual net output 14,394 GWh (2017)
Website
Centrale nucléaire de Saint-Alban

The Saint-Alban nuclear power plant is located on the Rhone river, in the Isère department 50 km downstream from Lyon in the communes of Saint-Alban-du-Rhône and Saint-Maurice-l'Exil.

Description

The power station uses water from the Rhone river to cool its two 1,300 MW reactors and employs 670 people..

Type of reactors

The following types of reactors are installed:

Reactor units

Reactor Unit[1] Type Average Output Rated Power Began construction Finish construction Commercial operation Close of reactor
St.Alban-1PWR1381 MW1335 MWJan 1979Aug 1985May 1986
St.Alban-2PWR1381 MW1335 MWJuly 1979July 1986March 1987

.[1]

Seismological risk

According to WENRA, EDF has prepared a plan in case of an earthquake,[2] however other ASN documents from 2002 there may be some anomalies regarding the remote control and which may put into question the correct functioning of certain elements following an earthquake.

2003 heatwave

Following extremely high temperatures in July 2003 average water temperature rose above the limit authorised by the nuclear safety authorities for a period of 4 hours.

Fire risk

According to the 2007 ASN annual report recommendations were made to the operator to improve the security of the control room.[3]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Power Reactor Information System from IAEA: "France (French Republic): Nuclear Power Reactors" (in English)
  2. ↑ WENRA Progress towards harmonisation of safety for existing reactors in WENRA countries (p 74/88)
  3. ↑ {fr} "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2011-09-12.
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