EDF to dismantle Chinon A2 heat exchangers

Recently, France is preparing to begin dismantling its first UNGG reactor (first-generation natural uranium graphite gas-cooled nuclear reactor, Uranium Naturel Graphite Gaz). Cyclife, a subsidiary of Électricité de France (EDF), announced that the dismantling project at the Chinon A nuclear power plant has reached an important milestone, namely the approval of the contract strategy for dismantling the heat exchangers at the Chinon A2 plant.

It is understood that the Chinon A2 reactor (Chinon A2 unit), also known as EDF2, is a decommissioned commercial nuclear reactor at Chinon Nuclear Power Plant——France's first-generation nuclear power plant. It holds pivotal demonstrative significance in the history of nuclear energy development in France and even globally. Chinon A2 is one of six gas-cooled reactors (Uranium Naturel Graphite Gaz, or UNGG) being decommissioned in France, with the others located at Bugey, Chinon and St Laurent-des-Eaux. Apart from Chinon A1, which was shut down in 1973, the remaining reactors all operated for more than 20 years. Chinon A2 is EDF's preferred site for its immediate dismantling strategy for the UNGG series of reactors, with the goal of dismantling these facilities in the shortest possible time.

With the approval of the contract strategy, the project has “reached a decisive milestone.” After more than three and a half years of studies conducted in collaboration with EDF's Decommissioning and Waste Projects Division (DP2D) and the Cyclife Engineering team, this milestone lays the foundation for the first operational phase of dismantling the world's first UNGG reactor. Subject to the entry into force of the dismantling decree, the first task of the project will be the sequential dismantling of equipment in the four heat exchanger cells of Chinon A2. These heat exchangers are used to transfer heat generated by carbon dioxide heated in the reactor core to water in the secondary circuit, thereby producing steam.

Cyclife stated that the dismantling operations will “fully leverage” the experience gained from dismantling the heat exchangers of the Chinon A3 reactor. The project is expected to commence in mid-2028, following a public hearing on the UNGG reactor dismantling strategy, which is scheduled for 2027. The entire project is expected to take six years. Stéphanie Proust, EDF Chinon A-AMI Project Manager, stated that this is an important step toward a landmark industrial project that will set a benchmark for EDF's entire UNGG program.