Opening Address by K.S. Kang and M. Lipar [3. International Conference on Nuclear Power Plant Life Management, Salt Lake City, UT (United States), 14-18 May 2012]

Over the past several decades, prior to 2002, there had been a continuous worldwide increase in the energy availability factor (EAF) of nuclear power plants. At that point, the EAF levelled at 85% and remained flat until 2007, when it began to decrease. By 2011, the EAF has decreased to 79%. The main reasons for the availability trend decrease have been primarily external events such as the tsunami of extreme intensity that affected Fukushima. Other, but still significant factors have been heavy component replacements and system refurbishments, and long duration maintenance shutdowns in a number of plants. The two main areas of the IAEA mandate are safety and technology. Therefore, the IAEA is involved in the development of safety standards and guidelines as well as in offering expert review and peer review missions. The IAEA is a leader in technical cooperation activities, including workshops and training courses. In addition to safety standards, the IAEA issues a host of other technical publications