Principal design criteria of nuclear power plants. The norm CNEN-NE-1.04 and general design criteria from US NRC, BMI and IAEA

The norm CNEN-NE-1.04 'Licensing of Nuclear Facilities' establishes that an applicant of a Construction License of a nuclear power plant should present, among other information, the design bases and the demonstration that these design bases are in accordance with the Principal Design Criteria, as described in the Preliminary Report of Safety Analysis (PSAR). The definition of Principal Design Criteria is related to design requirements for the manufacturing, construction, test and performance of structures, systems and components that are important for the safety. These requirements will guarantee that the plant can operate without undue risk to the workers, public and environment. On the other hand, General Design Criteria establish the minimum requirements, with the same objective of the Principal Design Criteria, applicable to a specific plant type, for instance, a Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR). In this article, the authors discuss the Brazilian experience of licensing in which three groups of General Design Criteria from different origins were used: the North American (US NRC), the German (BMI) and the international (IAEA). They also present a comparative study, showing the implication of their differences in the design bases, as well as the impact in the nuclear safety. (author)