Bugey Nuclear Power Plant
The Bugey Nuclear Power Plant is located in Bugey in the Saint-Vulbas commune (Ain), about 75 km from the Swiss border. The site occupies 100 hectares. It is on the edge of the Rhône River, from where it gets its cooling water, and is about 35 km upstream from Lyon and 72 km from Grenoble. About 1,200 people work at the site.
| Bugey Nuclear Power Plant | |
|---|---|
 Bugey Nuclear Power Plant | |
| |
| Country | France |
| Coordinates | 45°47′54″N 5°16′15″E |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 1964 |
| Commission date | April 15, 1972 |
| Owner(s) | EDF |
| Operator(s) | EDF |
| Employees |
|
| Nuclear power station | |
| Reactors | 5 |
| Reactor type | PWR |
| Power generation | |
| Units operational | 2 × 910 MW 2 × 880 MW |
| Make and model | pressurized water reactor (4) |
| Units decommissioned | 1 × 540 MW |
| Nameplate capacity | 3580 MW |
| Capacity factor | 78.6% |
| Annual net output | 25,654 GW·h |
| External links | |
| Website | edf.fr/ ... /Bugey.html |
| Commons | Related media on Commons |
The site houses 4 currently operating units, all being pressurized water reactors. The 5th reactor (unit 1) is currently being dismantled. It was the last UNGG reactor built in the world.
Some of the cooling comes from direct use of the Rhône water (units 2 and 3) while some is done by the use of cooling towers (units 4 and 5).
Seismic activity
According to reports from the Autorité de sûreté nucléaire,[1] some safety functions may not be provided in the event of an earthquake. The area is not known for its seismic activity.
In the last few years, the plant was modernized to updated earthquake resistance standards.
Heat dumping
During the heat wave on July 20, 2003, waste heat water was piped into the Rhône, which is permitted, in extreme cases, for about 2 hours and the maximum heat difference was 0.9 degrees Celsius. Again on July 30, 2003, water was directly discharged into the Rhône for 9 hours.
Reactor units
| Reactor Unit[2] | Type | Average Output | Rated Power | Began construction | Finish construction | Commercial operation | Close of reactor[3] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bugey 1 | UNGG (gas-cooled) | 540 MW | 555 MW | December 1, 1965 | April 15, 1972 | July 1, 1972 | May 27, 1994 |
| Bugey 2 | CP0 (PWR) | 910 MW | 945 MW | November 1, 1972 | May 10, 1978 | March 1, 1979 | Qualified to operate until April, 2021 |
| Bugey 3 | CP0 (PWR) | 910 MW | 945 MW | September 1, 1973 | September 21, 1978 | March 1, 1979 | Qualified to operate until April, 2024 |
| Bugey 4 | CP0 (PWR) | 880 MW | 917 MW | June 1, 1974 | March 8, 1979 | July 1, 1979 | Qualified to operate until December, 2021 |
| Bugey 5 | CP0 (PWR) | 880 MW | 917 MW | July 1, 1974 | July 31, 1979 | January 30, 1980 | Qualified to operate until June, 2022 |
Bugey 5 was offline from August 2015 to July 2017 due to an air leak in the inner liner of its containment.[4][5]
References
- The French Nuclear Safety Authority Archived August 23, 2007, at the Wayback Machine (in English)
- Power Reactor Information System from IAEA: "France (French Republic): Nuclear Power Reactors" (in English)
- The French Nuclear Safety Authority Archived June 25, 2020, at the Wayback Machine (in French)
- "Bugey 5 containment repairs get regulatory approval". World Nuclear News. April 5, 2017. Retrieved April 6, 2017.
- "Bugey 5 restarts following containment repairs". World Nuclear News. July 27, 2017. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Bugey nuclear power plant. |
- INSC database: Bugey (in English)