EDF says no need to close nuclear reactors over welding problems

www.reuters.com

French utility EDF said there was no need to halt any of its nuclear reactors for now following the discovery of problems with welding in their steam generators last week.

State-controlled EDF said in a statement it had identified problems with 16 generators installed in six operating reactors in plants in France. It also discovered issues with components not yet in service, notably at the nuclear plant it is building in Flamanville, northern France.

EDF, whose shares rose nearly 4% in early trade, said that at the current stage of investigations the issues that had been identified do not adversely affect the components’ fitness for service and do not require immediate action.

France is a major power exporter and EDF’s stable nuclear output plays a key role in balancing electricity flows in Europe, providing backup for intermittent solar and wind power.

In the autumn of 2016, the regulator, ASN, ordered EDF to close up to a third of its reactors for weeks for safety checks and repairs following problems with Framatome-made components, which caused power prices to spike 60 percent in two months.