EDF to extend Civaux nuclear outage, shut down reactors in Chooz for safety measures

PARIS, Dec 15 (Reuters) – EDF (EDF.PA) on Wednesday said it would extend the outage of some nuclear reactors in Civaux and shut down reactors in Chooz to carry out safety measures, a decision that will impact the utility’s operating profit at the end of the fiscal year.

EDF, France’s biggest electricity supplier, said that “some defaults were detected close to the welds on the pipes of the safety injection system circuit”, at its nuclear plant in Civaux, western France. The finding prompted its decision to extend the current outage of the concerned reactors.

EDF said that it would consequently also shut down four reactors at its plant in Chooz, eastern France, because they use the same technology.

The setback comes as France plots a new nuclear power station building program and may raise questions about safety if it faces problems with reactors it already built.

The decision will result in a loss of about 1 TWh by the end of 2021, EDF said, adding that this would lead to a downward revision of its EBITDA estimate to a range of 17.5 to 18 billion euros, against the previous target of an EBITDA of more than 17.7 billion euros, based on current market prices.

In 2018, France’s ASN nuclear regulator said EDF would not be able to start up its new Flamanville nuclear reactor without the watchdog’s approval of a solution to problems with substandard welding.

Reporting by Tassilo Hummel, Editing by Rosalba O’Brien and Richard Lough

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