France’s Flamanville 3 European Pressurised Reactor (EPR) has been connected to the French electricity grid, making it the fourth EPR reactor across three plants worldwide to come online equipped with valves supplied by IMI.
The milestone means IMI has provided valves for all four EPRs in operation worldwide. As well as Flamanville 3, IMI has supplied valves for use in Taishan 1 and 2 in China, and Olkiluoto 3 in Finland. It will also be supplying valves for use in the Hinkley Point C EPR currently under construction in the UK.
The 1,650MWe Flamanville 3 reactor was connected to the grid on 21 December 2024 and features Main Steam Safety Valves by IMI Bopp & Reuther, Main Steam Relief Isolation Valves, Pressuriser Spray Valves, Main Feedwater Control Valves, RIS/EVU Strainers by IMI CCI and Butterfly Valves by IMI TH Jansen.. Engineers at the French site are working with French nuclear regulator, ASNR, to bring the reactor up to its full capacity, which it is expected to reach later in the year.
The EPR model is designed to offer a replicable design for efficient nuclear plants that use considerably less uranium than earlier reactor models. Flamanville 3 is now generating electricity for use across France’s national grid, while reducing radioactive waste by between 15% and 30% thanks to the more complete fission of uranium. The reactor will have an important role to play in achieving France’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.
Luc Todo, President of EMEA Strategic Projects Nuclear at IMI, said, “Nuclear plants are harsh environments where precise, robust and reliable equipment, manufactured to the highest standards, has a vital role to play.
“It speaks to the reputation of the IMI product brands involved that IMI equipment is in use across all EPRs worldwide and will be used at the forthcoming EPR at Hinckley Point C.”
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