PARIS (Thomson Financial) - France's nuclear safety authority identified 'shortcomings' during an inspection in March of the Flamanville site where Bouygues is building a new nuclear power plant for EDF, Les Echos reported.
The authority criticised Bouygues for bad preparation of a concreting operation and asked EDF to supervise the work more closely, according to the business daily.
The visit in question concerned the preparation of concrete for housing the EPR European pressurised water nuclear reactor to be supplied by Areva, the report said.
EDF said the discrepancies will have no impact on the safety or quality of the reactor and the company will strengthen supervision of the work, Les Echos added.
The first EPR on which construction began, the Olkiluoto 3 project in Finland, is two years behind schedule and is expected to open in 2011 rather than in 2009 as initially targeted.
Work at Flamanville began late last year.
The nuclear authority said the quality of the preparatory work and the first construction work at Flamanville is 'globally satisfactory', Les Echos noted.
Andrew Newby; Andrew.Newby@Thomson.com an/slm