The nuclear power plant Cattenom (Moselle) never ceases to worry the Luxemburg, located a few kilometers away. And for good reason, “corrosion cracks” were discovered on one of the reactors, according to the specialized press.

A reactor shut down since March

Indeed, in an article published on Thursday April 14, 2022, the media Montel news report, according to a trade union source, that reactor number 3 of the Moselle power station “presents cracks at the welds of the safety injection circuit”.

A reactor shut down since March 26 to “carry out checks […] as a result of the corrosion problems observed”.

For its part, EDF mentions, in a press release dated April 14, a phenomenon of corrosion at the level of the production unit number 3 of Cattenom, rapporteur our colleagues from Paper jam.

What are the origins of the incident?

The situation complicates Franco-Luxembourg relations. For its part, the Grand Duchy is once again displaying its fears about the plant located on its doorstep.

In a press release dated April 14, the Ministries of the Environment and Energy announce that they have translated a letter to the Director General of the Nuclear Safety Authority.

Given the consequences for the local population, Carole Dieschbourg and Claude Turmes insist on an urgent meeting of the Local Information Commission (CLI) of Cattenom in order to inform the members of the CLI on the details of the problem and the measures that the operator intends to take.

In this way, the Luxembourg government wishes to obtain answers concerning possible consequences on the other reactors of the plant but also to know the origin of these anomalies.

“The government is particularly worried”

Contacted by News Luxembourgthe Grand-Ducal Ministry of the Environment points the finger at the nuclear power plants planned in the 1980s which “were not designed to operate for more than 40 years”.

As a result, they could never meet the standards currently applicable to new constructions in this area. The numerous shutdowns imposed by the nuclear safety authority to the operator bears ample witness to this”, develops the ministry in its response dated Thursday, April 21.

We recall that the Court of Justice of the European Union and the application committee of the Espoo Convention have ruled that the extension of the lifetime of a nuclear power plant must be the subject of an EIA with consultation cross-border.

Faced with this situation, “the government is particularly concerned about the new press releases by EDF and complain about the lack of transparency “.

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