Japanese Inspectors at the Lyon Division

From September 29 to October 3, a delegation of four inspectors from the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA), the Japanese nuclear safety authority, was hosted at the ASNR Lyon Division.

The program included discussions on inspection practices, crisis management, fire risk control, and the organization and functioning of the French and Japanese authorities. The visit also gave the Japanese inspectors an opportunity to see how France reassesses the safety of nuclear reactors during periodic safety reviews. They observed the implementation of Phase A of the fourth ten-year inspection of 900 MWe reactors at Cruas-Meysse Unit 1, and Phase B at the Tricastin reactors. They also visited the Nuclear Rapid Response Force (FARN) based at the Bugey site.

Although they specialize in the inspection of nuclear reactors, the Japanese inspectors took advantage of their visit to the Drôme region to tour Framatome’s nuclear fuel manufacturing plant in Romans-sur-Isère. They also attended a public meeting of the Local Information Commission for Major Energy Facilities at Tricastin (CLIGEET), during which representatives from the Lyon Division and the Radiological Emergency Response and Environmental Monitoring Service (SIRSE) of the ASNR spoke.

This exchange is part of an ongoing relationship between the Lyon and Japanese inspectors that began in 2006. Last year, three French inspectors were hosted in Japan to compare the practices of both countries and to visit the Mihama nuclear power plant and the decommissioning site at Monju. The strong ties established between the inspectors foster practical and effective exchanges, reinforcing common approaches and learning from differences — all with the shared goal of improving the safety of nuclear facilities. This is a dynamic that both authorities intend to continue in the years ahead.