Generic results and conclusions of re-evaluating the flooding protection in french nuclear power plants.

E. Vial, V. Rebour, JM Mattéi, A. Gorbatchev, Nuclear energy in Eastern Europe : option, challenges and future, 28-30/06/2002, Varna, Bulgary.

The flooding event that occurred at the Blayais site, though it did not lead to a dangerous situation for the local population or the environment, clearly demonstrated the possible occurrence of modes of degradation of the safety level affecting all the units at a site. As a result, a number of projects were established by the French operator that was designed to extract useful lessons concerning the flooding risks at the Blayais site, as well as to upgrade all sites equipped with pressurized water reactors in France. This report presents, on the basis of the circumstances observed at the Blayais site during the course of the flood event of December 27, 1999 (which was the subject of a presentation by IPSN at the Eurosafe 2000 Conference), an evaluation of the initiatives aimed at improving the safety of the French units from an external flooding risk perspective.