(February 17, 2011)

PARIS — French authorities said Thursday they are replacing faulty metal bearings in the emergency power systems of eight nuclear plants because they showed signs of wear.

At the Tricastin complex in southern France, all three emergency diesel generators used as backups for two reactors were equipped with the faulty bearings. State-owned utility EDF said they have been replaced.

That incident was classified as a level 2 incident, on a scale of zero to seven, with seven being a major disaster.

At the other plants the problem was classified at level 1. Officials are continuing to install new bearings there, EDF and the French Nuclear Safety Authority said.

The bearings prevent friction between moving pieces in the generators, which switch on if the ordinary power system fails.

France is among the most nuclear-dependent countries in the world, with reactors churning out about 80 per cent of its electricity.

In 2008, the Tricastin plant reported several incidents that angered anti-nuclear groups, including a leak of unenriched uranium into two nearby rivers and the release of radioactive particles from a pipe.

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