EDF chooses AREVA to upgrade the monitoring and control safety systems for its twenty 1300MW reactors

EDF has awarded AREVA with a contract worth more than €600m to upgrade the monitoring and control systems which guarantee the safety of its 1300MW power plants (Paluel, Flamanville, Saint-Alban, Cattenom, Belleville, Nogent sur Seine, Golfech and Penly).

The work, to be carried out on 20 reactors, is an integral part of EDF’s industrial programme for the continuous improvement of its nuclear installations. The aim is to enhance the performance of the monitoring and control systems, which guarantee nuclear safety.

The first tranche of the works will commence in 2015, to coincide with the third 10-yearly reactor inspections.

The 1300 MW reactor monitoring and control system was the first in the world to see digital technology used in nuclear power plants. Developed by AREVA in the 80’s, and brought into service for the first time in 1984 in a reactor at the Paluel plant, this digitized system, which is the subject of the contract, includes the power and protection control system for the reactor core, which is where fuel is loaded in.

As the principal contractor, AREVA will draw on its extensive expertise and will be working primarily with its partner, ROLLS ROYCE, whose teams are based in Grenoble, to supply the majority of the technology associated with this contract.