National nuclear power plant safety research 2007-2010. Proposal for SAFIR2010 framework plan

A country utilising nuclear energy is presumed to possess a sufficient infrastructure to cover the education and research in this field, besides the operating organisations of the plants and a regulatory body. The starting point of public nuclear safety research programmes is that they provide the necessary conditions for retaining the knowledge needed for ensuring the continuance of safe and economic use of nuclear power, for development of new know-how and for participation in international cooperation. In fact, the Finnish organisations engaged in research in this sector have been an important resource which the various ministries, the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) and the power companies have had at their disposal. Ministry of Trade and Industry appointed a group to write the Framework Plan of the new programme. This report contains a proposal for the general outline of the programme, preliminarily entitled as SAFIR2010 (SAfety of Nuclear Power Plants - Finnish National Research Programme). The plan has been made for the period 2007-2010, but it is based on safety challenges identified for a longer time span as well. Olkiluoto 3, the new nuclear power plant unit under construction has also been taken into account in the plan. The safety challenges set by the existing plants and the new plant unit, as well as the ensuing research needs do, however, converge to a great extent. The research programme is strongly based on the Chapter 7a of the Finnish Nuclear Energy Act. The construction of the new power plant unit will increase the need for experts in the field in Finland. At the same time, the retirement of the existing experts is continuing. These factors together will call for more education and training, in which active research activities play a key role. This situation also makes long-term safety research face a great challenge. The Framework Plan aims to define the important research needs related to the safety challenges. The research into these needs is the programme's main techno-scientific task. The programme is also to upkeep know-how in those areas where no significant changes occur but in which dynamic research activities are the absolute precondition for safe use of nuclear power. The Framework Plan lays the ground for drafting more detailed annual plans and research proposals needed for these. Short term specific projects, projects running throughout the entire research programme and development work of a very long duration suit the programme flexibly. Nuclear safety research requires collecting national resources and mastering the whole. The research programme must function as an efficient conveyor of information to all organisations operating in the nuclear energy sector and as an open discussion forum for participation in international projects, allocation of resources and in planning of new projects. (orig.)