Paris, 18 March 2024
EDF has been seized by the French government to provide an irradiation service at Civaux nuclear power plant, in support of the CEA (Commissariat à l’énergie atomique - Atomic Energy Comission). An irradiation service involves inserting radioactive material into the reactor core.
The purpose of EDF's nuclear reactors, including Civaux, is to produce low-carbon, pilotable electricity to support energy transition in France. This complementary activity will be added to the main mission of electricity generation.
This request from the French government has no impact on Civaux’s operations or its purpose. In addition, the two Civaux reactors remain subject to the civil nuclear installations regime.
There are no plans to extend this additional activity to other reactors in the fleet.
This complementary activity will be carried out in accordance with the applicable safety and environmental protection regulations. The request for authorisation to carry out this activity will be submitted to the French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) for review.
An agreement between the French State, CEA and EDF will be signed, setting out the scope of activities and the rights and obligations of each party, in compliance with EDF's governance rules.