Nuclear security

Areva Admits to “Irregularities” in Hundreds of Nuclear Plant Components, Possible Falsified Documents

France’s nuclear sector was rocked to its core on May 4 when the country’s Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) announced that state-owned nuclear manufacturer Areva had confessed to “irregularities in the manufacturing checks” on about 400 parts produced since 1965, about 50 of which are still in service in France.

ASN said in a statement that the irregularities “comprise inconsistencies, modifications or omissions in the production files, concerning manufacturing parameters or test results.”

The problems came to light as the result of an audit ASN began last year after defects were discovered in the Flamanville EPR reactor vessel head and a review of the manufacturing work performed at Areva’s Creusot steel forging plant. That audit uncovered enough problems that ASN ordered Areva to review its records going back to 2004 when manufacturing for the EPR began.