Beznau II nuclear power plant: Expertise on NOK's request for the removal of the time limitation for the operation licence

The Federal Agency for the Safety of Nuclear Installations (HSK) is the Swiss authority responsible for nuclear safety and protection against radioactivity in nuclear power plants. It has to examine the request of the North-East Swiss Power Corporation (NOK) concerning the removal of the operational time limitation for the Beznau-II reactor (KKB-II). In the present report HSK reviews the enterprise management and the safety of KKB-II on the basis of the results of the Periodic Safety Review. The Beznau nuclear power plant exhibits a very high degree of technical and organisational safety. During the past 10 years the plant has been operated in a safe manner. At the same time the plant has been improved and this guarantees that the mechanisms of ageing degradation are systematically identified and that measures can be taken that are possibly necessary. Under such conditions, the safety of KKB-II can be guarantied at all times. As a result of the management of quality, environmental and working safety conditions, the correct application and the continuous improvement of all processes important to safety are ensured. With these measures KKB has shown that safety is given priority over and against all other working goals. The examination by HSK of the Periodic Safety Review has shown that, in the past, KKB has applied modernisation measures independent of the licensing situation of the two reactor blocks. These modernisation measures largely contribute to the fact that the HSK examination did not reveal any significant safety deficiencies. Other improvement measures allow risk reduction or can bee seen as an adaptation to experience gained and to the state of the technological art. In conclusion, HSK states that no safety-relevant facts have been found which could prevent the removal of the time limitation on the operational licence for KKB-II. From the point of view of HSK, KKB-II fulfils the conditions for the safe continuation of operation