91998E4038

WRITTEN QUESTION E-4038/98

by Wilfried Telkämper (V) to the Commission

(8 January 1999)

Subject: Risks posed by EDF's nuclear power station at Fessenheim on the Upper Rhine in Alsace

On 11 December 1998 the second generating unit of the Fessenheim nuclear power station had to be shut down because of deformation of a flexible metal bellows in the cooling system. The first unit was shut down in August 1998 for the same reason.

What information does the Commission have of the nature, extent and impact of the incident at the Fessenheim power station and does it see a need for an inspection of the power station and the security system by an independent expert institution to provide the public in Switzerland, Germany and France with adequate protection against any risk?

Answer given by Mrs Bjerregaard on behalf of the Commission

(15 February 1999)

On 11 December 1998, during restart operations in Unit 1 at the Fessenheim power plant, deformation of the flexible metal bellows was noted in the spray cooling system for the containment. It was decided to replace those bellows. Investigations were immediately carried out on the counterparts in Unit 2, where the same type of deformation was identified. Therefore, as a precautionary measure in compliance with the safety rules the power plant's management decided to shut Unit 2 down for the necessary work to be carried out. The repairs proceeded according to plan, thus enabling Unit 2 to be restarted on 28 December and the start-up operations for Unit 1to be reinitiated. Unit 1 should restart around mid-January.

The French safety authorities are responsible for licensing the nuclear power installations and for compliance with the safety requirements and practices applying in France.