France: Nuclear safety: an “unjustified” reform

"The relaunch of the project to merge the French nuclear safety institutions has raised the alarm of the unions, who denounce the potential consequences, stating that this reform will permanently disorganize the system without clear justification from the powers that be, and ignoring the risks and impacts identified by employee representatives. The intersyndicale is calling for vigorous opposition from all concerned to protect employee interests and preserve transparency and expertise in the field of nuclear safety."

Share:

Comprehensive energy news coverage, updated nonstop

Annual subscription

8.25$/month*

*billed annually at 99$/year for the first year then 149,00$/year ​

Unlimited access • Archives included • Professional invoice

OTHER ACCESS OPTIONS

Monthly subscription

Unlimited access • Archives included

5.2$/month*
then 14.90$ per month thereafter

FREE ACCOUNT

3 articles offered per month

FREE

*Prices are excluding VAT, which may vary depending on your location or professional status

Since 2021: 35,000 articles • 150+ analyses per week

The merger of France’s two nuclear safety institutions “will bring lasting disruption to the system”, reacted the trade unions of the Institut de Radioprotection et Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN) on Thursday, the day after the Elysée announced the relaunch of the project.

Controversial nuclear reform: unions warn of potential consequences

“The government has still not justified its project”, and conversely has not “identified” its risks and consequences, stress the CFDT, CGT and CFE-CGC unions in a press release.

A Nuclear Policy Council convened by Emmanuel Macron relaunched plans to merge the ASN and IRSN, after an initial attempt was rejected by Parliament in April. The Elysée cites a report produced by two elected members of Opecst (Office parlementaire des choix scientifiques), which concludes that it is necessary to merge the two institutions in view of the expected increase in workload with the revival of the atom.

But for the inter-union group, this report “partial, biased and irrelevant (…) cannot serve as a basis for launching a reform of such scope, unless one considers that this reform is above all political”.

“This reform, undertaken at a time when IRSN and ASN employees have already been working for several months on the nuclear revival program, will cause lasting disruption to the system and lead to resignations,” she warns. “No one can believe that a reform on this scale will lead to a new operational organization in one year”, she adds, referring to the Opecst report’s wish to complete the reform by the end of 2024.

Employee representatives list other risks: disorganization of safety expertise for national defense installations, inability to participate in major research projects, disappearance of commercial activities, loss of transparency… Finally, they expressed alarm at the fate of the Institute’s employees, who would be left “in the lurch”, calling on “employees of IRSN, ASN, the nuclear industry, researchers, citizens and members of parliament to strongly oppose this project”.

California-based Radiant will build its first microreactor production facility in Oak Ridge, on a former Manhattan Project site, with production targeted at 50 units per year by 2028.
EDF restarted the Flamanville EPR reactor after repairing non-compliant valves, delaying the target of reaching full power output of 1,620 MW until the end of autumn.
Nano Nuclear and the University of Illinois will begin drilling operations for the KRONOS MMR™ reactor on October 24, marking a key step toward commercialisation of the nuclear project on the Urbana-Champaign campus.
Natura Resources is finalising construction of the MSR-1, an advanced liquid-fuel nuclear reactor, with a planned launch in 2026 on the Abilene Christian University campus.
JPMorganChase commits $10bn in direct investments as part of a $1.5tn plan to boost energy independence and strategic technologies, including next-generation nuclear power.
A roadmap under development aims to establish regulatory and technical foundations for the deployment of small modular reactors, with the goal of strengthening national energy security and attracting private capital.
EDF adjusts its 2025 nuclear production forecast to between 365 and 375 TWh, supported by the performance of its industrial programme START 2025 focused on maintenance efficiency.
The United Nations nuclear agency is urging Ukraine and Russia to establish a local ceasefire to repair damaged power lines at the Zaporizhzhia plant, which remains on alert after losing all external power supply.
Deep Isolation is calling on First Mover States to incorporate radioactive waste management into their joint strategy to ensure the industrial viability of new nuclear reactors.
Canada’s nuclear regulator has approved the launch of a new building that will store used steam generators from Bruce Power's refurbishment programme.
Costain has been selected to upgrade essential utilities at the Sellafield nuclear site under a contract worth up to £1bn over fifteen years.
A 5,000-megawatt nuclear programme will be launched by the South African government with NECSA to support national electricity supply and reduce power cuts.
Canada’s IsoEnergy will acquire Australia’s Toro Energy for AUD75mn ($49mn), creating a diversified uranium production platform with assets across Australia, Canada and the United States.
The upcoming Sizewell C nuclear power plant secures its fuel supply through agreements signed with Urenco and Framatome, marking a key step in strengthening the United Kingdom’s long-term energy stability.
The construction of Uzbekistan’s first small modular reactor (SMR) is underway, with 1.5mn m³ of earth being excavated in Jizzakh, marking a major milestone for the nuclear project led by Rosatom.
A nationwide debate on radioactive waste strategy begins on October 13 for four months. It will accompany the preparation of the next five-year roadmap regulating storage, treatment and funding policies through 2031.
Holtec International has ended its planned interim nuclear storage facility in New Mexico, citing ongoing legal hurdles and political deadlock over spent fuel management.
An international audit led by the International Atomic Energy Agency confirms that Spain has fully addressed the recommendations made in 2018 regarding its nuclear waste management programme.
EDF anticipates a 35 MW decrease in output for the Flamanville EPR between 2026 and 2031, citing a degraded performance level with no official technical explanation to date.
Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd has pushed the Bharat Small Reactors proposal deadline to 31 March 2026, aiming to expand private sector engagement in the captive nuclear energy project.

All the latest energy news, all the time

Annual subscription

8.25$/month*

*billed annually at 99$/year for the first year then 149,00$/year ​

Unlimited access - Archives included - Pro invoice

Monthly subscription

Unlimited access • Archives included

5.2$/month*
then 14.90$ per month thereafter

*Prices shown are exclusive of VAT, which may vary according to your location or professional status.

Since 2021: 30,000 articles - +150 analyses/week.