Romans, September 23, 2022, at 6 pm.
On 21 September 2022 at 4.25 p.m., a fire broke out in a workshop at the CERCA facility of Framatome in Romans-sur-Isère, France. The fire was quickly contained by the internal safety teams.
There were no casualties or injuries. No radioactive material was affected by the fire. The first measurements of radioactivity carried out by Framatome and the Institute for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) confirmed the absence of impact on the population and the environment.
Framatome and the site management kept the Safety and Security Authorities, the Drôme Prefecture, as well as local stakeholders (Town Hall and Local Information Commission) regularly informed throughout this incident.
The facility’s Internal Emergency Plan (PUI) triggered by Framatome in accordance with its procedures was terminated in agreement with the authorities concerned. The French Safety Authority deactivated its emergency center at 7:50 pm on September 21.
The CERCA upstream workshop (location of the fire) will be restarted as soon as possible in safety after completion of the repairs.
Production in the CERCA workshops (cladding and assembly) restarted normally on September 22.
The facility dedicated to fuel for nuclear power plants (PWR) located on the same Framatome site in Romans was not affected by the fire allowing manufacturing to continue as usual.
The Framatome plant in Romans-sur-Isère manufactures fuel for power-generating reactors and research reactors. Its clients are electricians, research centres and universities around the world. It employs nearly 950 people.