GDES France was engaged in 2018 to eliminate deposits from the Residual Heat Removal (RHR) System exchangers of the Primary Circuit cooling system at the BLAYAIS Nuclear Power Plant – Unit 2. The work, executed in March 2019, was a crucial milestone for GDES France. Not only because of the pioneering nature of this service, but also because it introduces GDES France to EDF as a service provider for works in controlled areas. The goal of this project was to develop and certify a process that will remove iron oxide and silicon fouling from the visible parts of the tube plate.

The objective, within the framework of the ten-year inspection of the RHR exchangers, was to obtain a visible surface that enables defects and deterioration, such as corrosion or the appearance of cracks, to be detected without an increase in deposits on the non-visible parts of the plate. This service was carried out under the control of the Autorité de Sûreté Nucléaire(French Nuclear Safety Authority), since it was a novel service for EDF. The inspection of the RHR exchangers is carried out every 10-20 years and an intervention of this type has not previously been executed. The service contracted to GDES France was carried out under an approval testing phase to verify efficacy, safety and mode of operation.

After completion of the works, the services provided by GDES have been rated by EDF as a success. Our client, in its FEP supplier assessment (fiches d’évaluation des prestataires), especially highlighted the technical and commercial relations, the resources used, the management of the project and its planning.