Golfech Nuclear Power Plant
| Golfech Nuclear Power Plant | |
|---|---|
 Golfech Nuclear Power Plant | |
 | |
| Country | France |
| Coordinates | 44°06′40″N 0°50′25″E / 44.1111°N 0.8403°E |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | 1982 |
| Commission date | February 1, 1991 |
| Operator(s) | EDF |
| Power generation | |
| Nameplate capacity |
|
| External links | |
| Commons | Related media on Commons |
The Golfech Nuclear Power Plant is located in the commune of Golfech (Tarn-et-Garonne), on the border of Garonne between Agen (30 km downstream) and Toulouse (90 km upstream) on the Garonne River, from where it gets cooling water, and approximately 40 km west of Montauban.
The station has two operating nuclear reactors that are both pressurized water reactors and of the French P'4 design. The plant also has two cooling towers that gets water from the Garonne River, but it only takes water to compensate for evaporation; the cooling loop is closed and water is never released back into the river.
In 2002 the plant produced nearly half of the electricity used in the area. It employs nearly 700 full time workers.
History
In 1965, the Midi-Pyrénées announced intention to construct a nuclear plant near Malause. EDF then went about securing a site for the station. In 1967 a board of inquiry initially laid out plans for two UNGG reactors with an output of 800 MWe each.
During falling petroleum prices and conflicts between EDF and CEA, the project was delayed to be decided between 1967 and 1969. In 1969 after the departure of Charles de Gaulle, CEA gave up on the UNGG plans.
In 1973, a nearby hydroelectric plant of 63 MW is finished and the regional manager for EDF announces plans for PWRs at the site to be finished by 1985.
In 1978, EDF announces that Golfech will be the site for 4 PWRs eventually of 1300 MWe each.
On June 17, 1979, 5000 protesters walked on the future site and released balloons.
Events
These are all 1 on the INES scale and occurred in 1998.
- on September 28 at the time of a check operation of the measuring equipment of the neutron flux in the middle of the reactor, the operator did not respond to one of the signals that should have been investigated.
- on November 4 the Autorité de sûreté nucléaire discovered that on October 14, EDF ran the reactor with an overpower of 7% for 30 hours.
- on November 27 the containment building is evacuated following the release of an alarm of atmospheric detection of radioactivity. Ten workers are slightly contaminated.