Saint-Alban Nuclear Power Plant
| Saint-Alban Nuclear Power Plant | |
|---|---|
  Location of Saint-Alban Nuclear Power Plant in France | |
| Official name | Centrale nucléaire de Saint-Alban |
| Country | France |
| Location | Saint-Alban-du-Rhône |
| Coordinates | 45°24′16″N 4°45′19″E / 45.40444°N 4.75528°ECoordinates: 45°24′16″N 4°45′19″E / 45.40444°N 4.75528°E |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 1979 |
| Commission date | March 30, 1985 |
| Operator(s) | EDF |
| Nuclear power station | |
| Reactor type | PWR |
| Reactor supplier | Areva |
| Cooling source | Rhône River |
| Cooling towers | no |
| Power generation | |
| Units operational | 2 x 1300 MW |
| Make and model | Alstom |
| Nameplate capacity | 2,600 MW |
| Average generation |
16,466 TWh (2006) ; 16,800 TWh (2008) |
The Saint-Alban nuclear power plant is located on the Rhone river, in the Isere department 50 km downstream from Lyon in the communes of Saint-Alban-du-Rhône and Saint-Maurice-l'Exil.
Description
The power station uses water from the Rhone river to cool its two 1,300 MW reactors and employs 670 people..
Type of reactors
The following types of reactors are installed:
Reactor units
| Reactor Unit[1] | Type | Average Output | Rated Power | Began construction | Finish construction | Commercial operation | Close of reactor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St.Alban-1 | PWR | 1381 MW | 1335 MW | Jan 1979 | Aug 1985 | May 1986 | |
| St.Alban-2 | PWR | 1381 MW | 1335 MW | July 1979 | July 1986 | March 1987 | |
.[1]
Seismological risk
According to WENRA, EDF has prepared a plan in case of an earthquake,[2] however other ASN documents from 2002 there may be some anomalies regarding the remote control and which may put into question the correct functioning of certain elements following an earthquake.
2003 heatwave
Following extremely high temperatures in July 2003 average water temperature rose above the limit authorised by the nuclear safety authorities for a period of 4 hours.
Fire risk
According to the 2007 ASN annual report recommendations were made to the operator to improve the security of the control room.[3]