Development of a Regulatory Inspection Programme for a New Nuclear Power Plant Project

With the recent interest in nuclear energy, many States have expressed an interest in developing nuclear programmes or expanding existing ones. Some of them have formally declared their intent to introduce nuclear power; others have even signed contracts to build nuclear power plants. The IAEA identifies seven main stages in licensing within the lifetime of a nuclear facility: siting, design, construction, commissioning, operation, decommissioning and release from regulatory control. This Safety Report focuses on the development of a regulatory inspection programme for siting through to commissioning. In addition, it considers the transition to operation. The regulatory inspection programme provides a high level of assurance that licensed activities are conducted in accordance with regulatory requirements and in conformity with general safety objectives (e.g. the as-built configuration of structures, systems and components is in conformity with the licensing basis). Construction and regulatory inspection of new construction projects are areas for which there are a limited number of requirements established in IAEA safety standards. Furthermore, the related IAEA Safety Guides address general regulatory functions, with limited emphasis on new construction projects or considerations for development of the inspection programme. This Safety Report identifies safety aspects from these requirements and recommendations, as well as key issues associated with initial programme development, and provides several examples from Member States