Name and Location
Flamanville 3 European pressurised reactor (EPR) project, France.

Client
Électricité de France (EDF).

Project Description
The Flamanville EPR is the first nuclear power station to be built in France for 15 years and the first third-generation-type plant.

The nuclear plant will have a net electricity output of 1 650 MWe.

Value
EDF has revised the cost of the project upwards from €6-billion to €8-billion.

Factors that have influenced the cost of the project include the development of the boiler design, additional engineering studies, the integration of new regulatory requirements and lessons learned from the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan. The cost update also relates to the additional costs and technical contingencies, such as the replacement of 45 consoles and the knock-on effects of this in terms of work scheduling and the financial impact of extending the construction deadlines.

Duration
Work began at the site in December 2007 and first production is scheduled for 2016.

Latest Developments
EDF has completed the installation of the dome on the reactor building of the Flamanville EPR, marking a symbolic milestone of the project’s construction.

A handling operation of such an exceptional scale required one of the most powerful cranes in the world. At 200 m high, “Big Benny” had the power to lift the dome of the Flamanville EPR reactor building, which weighs 260 t and has a diameter of 43 m. The structure is leak tight, as a result of welding around the entire circumference of the dome, which will then be clad with 7 000 t of concrete to boost its strength.

The dome has been fitted by Bouygues Construction, the company in charge of the civil engineering works for the project. The operation took four months of preparation and involved 30 employees from Bouygues Construction.

The construction site is entering its final phase, with 95% of civil engineering work completed and 46% of electrical and mechanical installation work completed.

With the dome installed, the heavy components of the nuclear steam supply system – steam generators, a reactor vessel and a pressuriser – will be installed inside the reactor building over the next few months. The first electrical tests and the installation of steam piping inside the turbine building and the installation of the first instrumentation and control cabinets, which will eventually be used for controlling, monitoring, protecting and operating the EPR, were completed in the first half of this year.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Areva (nuclear steam supply system), Bouygues (civil work) and Alstom (turbine island).

On Budget and on Time?
The project is on schedule; however, its budget has been revised upwards by €2-billion.

Contact Details for Project Information
EDF, Jill Coulombez, tel +33 1 40 42 24 25.
Areva, tel +331 34 96 12 15, fax +331 34 96 16 54 or email press@areva.com.
Bouygues, tel +33 1 30 60 33 00, fax +33 1 30 60 48 61 or
email communication@bouygues-construction.com .
Alstom, tel +33 1 41 49 20 00.