Safety Aspects of Long Term Operation of Nuclear Power Plants

Contri, P. and Katona, Tamás János (2003) Safety Aspects of Long Term Operation of Nuclear Power Plants. In: 17th international conference on structural mechanics in nuclear engineering (SMiRT 17). Brno University of Technology, Brno, D02-1. ISBN 80-214-2413-3

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Abstract

In the last years many Member States started a programme to assess the possibility for a Long Term Operation of their older nuclear power plants. These programs follow different approaches, being intrinsically dependent on the national regulatory framework and technical tradition. Typical safety assessment processes such as the Periodic Safety Review can be used as a framework for the preparation of long-term operation. Also the Licence Renewal based on the review of ageing management programs in context with other regulatory tools as the regular updating of the Safety Analysis Report could be used to ensure a safe long-term operation. The analysis of the practice in countries operating NPPs suggested that despite the differences related to the regulatory process, the main components of the programs and their basic technical tasks are shared among most of the countries. This paper aims at identifying the technical aspects more directly affecting the decision for a long-term safe operation of a nuclear facility, independently from their licensing framework. The paper includes an analysis of the safety implications of a program for preparation of long- term operation of NPPs, with reference to the available IAEA documents and experience in the review of national programs. The program running at Paks NPP Hungary represents one of the most recent experiences in the field. It is presented in the paper as an example of application of general safety principles to a real case, with proposals of solutions for practical problems common to many similar plants.

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