The place to be given to nuclear power in the energy mix is divided. But in any case, the question of the adaptation of existing power plants to the lack of water to come arises and must be prepared quickly.
The report of the Court of Auditors on the adaptation to climate change of the fleet of reactors published on March 21 went almost unnoticed. However, while Emmanuel Macron intends to launch the construction of six EPR 2 type reactors, is studying the possibility of building eight more and wishes to extend the life of the reactors already built to sixty years, the question deserves to be seriously explored.
Adaptations have been carried out since the 1990s, but the rapid evolution of knowledge on climate change requires the review of existing safety devices and the definition of a real adaptation strategy for new nuclear, notes the Court of Auditors. It estimates the investment for adaptation to climate change and associated events around “a billion euros for the past period and around 600 million euros for the next fifteen years”. EDF not having it “not fully and accurately assessed”it enjoins the energy company to “to identify and measure the costs of adaptation to climate change of the nuclear generation fleet, in operation [56 réacteurs implantés sur 18 centrales, ndlr]and in investment ».
Six sites particularly at risk
During heat waves or drought, the standards governing water withdrawals and thermal discharges from power plants can constrain operation and reduce the availability and production of the fleet. This is particularly the case when the reactors are located on the banks of a river or estuary. The Court of Auditors identifies a risk of unavailability for “six sites”: Saint-Alban, Tricastin, Bugey, Blayais, Golfech and Chooz. It recommends better measuring the impacts of water stress on these plants and adapting, if necessary, their storage capacities before discharge of liquid effluents.
Production losses linked to these restrictions remain limited most of the time, less than 1% of annual production. It nevertheless reached a record 1.4% in 2003, due to the heat wave. The Court of Auditors notes that “these unavailabilities are concentrated over short periods, most often in summer, and can prove critical by increasing the risk of tension on the network”. These unavailabilities linked to global warming could be multiplied “by a factor of three to four” by 2050, further notes the administrative authority.
For a better assessment and consideration of risks
As heatwaves and droughts are set to increase, the Court of Auditors calls for the consolidation and updating of the scientific foundations justifying the regulatory limits applicable to thermal discharges from nuclear reactors. Research should also provide a better understanding of the evolution of river flow.
Although more economical technical solutions in terms of water consumption, or even “dry” technologies, have been tested internationally, EDF has not proposed “no operational innovation regarding cooling systems under the new nuclear program”, regrets the Court. It therefore asks the energy company to “reinforce research and development on water-efficient cooling systems as well as on biocide treatment systems that are more sober in chemical reagents released into the natural environment”.