Integrated NPP life cycle management - Agency's approach

Full text: The number of nuclear power plants (NPPs) operating in the world has been roughly constant for the past seven years. There are 438 reactors of 353,489 MW(e) capacity in the world and they generated 2448.9 TWh in 2001 giving a total world operating experience with nuclear power of 10,363 years. About 230 units have reached already over 15 years of operation and significant number of these plants are fully depreciated. Share of nuclear power in electricity production sector in Member States utilising nuclear power plants represents a meaningful amount and in 14 countries it exceeds 30%. Therefore, a loss of this share should be covered by new installed capacities either from conventional or alternative sources of electricity generation. Recent forecasts, for nuclear power use over the next two decades range from ∼350 to ∼500 GW(e) worldwide. While assessing the need for any nuclear power related programmes there are several important factors that must be considered since even 350 GW(e) is a very large programme requiring several hundred thousand highly qualified personnel and a substantial infrastructure to assure its continued safe, reliable and cost-effective operation. It is important to assure reliable, safe and economic beneficial performance of the plant, which requires in turn an appropriated management of any activity connected with any taken period of a plant life starting from design and ending by the decided mode of decommissioning. The period between the first and the last payment for the activities connected with the existence of a plant could be defined as a life cycle of the plant. Such integrated approach requires considering the life cycle of the plant in a much broader sense than just operational life and is characterized by the variety of activities and their management represents in a whole a plant life management programme (PLIM). Therefore PLIM could be defined as an aggregate (totality) of technical, financial, economical and administrative - managerial or/and social - political activities aimed at the achievement of an optimised long term save and reliable operation of the plant including its decommissioning. Optimisation of the plant operational life is the most economical option equivalent to providing additional generating capacity. In its turn optimisation of operational or service life means extension of the operational license to the extent possible having in mind that the plant performance continues to maintain its safety and competitiveness on the market. To meet these requirements the need for an integrated NPP life management approach is becoming more and more evident. The IAEA in response to the needs of the Member states is implementing several programmes including the project on engineering and management practices for optimisation of nuclear power plant service life including decommissioning. The Project scope includes different possible modes of IAEA operations for the purposes of information exchange and technology transfer. It means arrangements for technical, advisory and consultant group meetings, development of databases and guidance documents on proven practices, co-ordinated research projects, technical co-operation projects, expert services, training activities, co-operation with other International organizations and some others. A number of issues are under consideration. They include economic analysis and considerations related to decision on continued operation versus decommissioning, optimisation of operation/maintenance/In-service inspection regimes to facilitate life management programmes, aging management and mitigation measures with regard to control and instrumentation, primary and secondary circuit equipment integrity, assessment of structural materials, creation and development of supporting databases, preservation of knowledge including aspects of training and qualification of NPP personnel, work force aging, pre-shut down and decommissioning activities. CONCLUSIONS. During the past decade the IAEA continues to be a focal point for the activities in the area of plant life management programmes development and implementation. Agency activities are aimed at the analysis of existing national approaches and experiences on policies and strategies of NPP life management as well as the information exchange on development and implementation of constituent parts of PLIM. (author)