Management of maintenance activities at Cernavoda NPP

After the Construction and Commissioning phases are over, the safety and economic performances of each nuclear unit are determined by the quality of its operation as well as by the combination of reliability and availability of the systems consisting the whole unit. Therefore, the value of a good maintenance program in making a safe and profitable operation is now widely recognized; all stations operating with excellent performance have well-defined policies and effectively administered programs to govern maintenance activities. The Cernavoda maintenance optimization initiative is derived from good practices suggested by such recognized bodies as the IAEA, INPO and EPRI. It should be noted that the program is evolving at this time and that this paper is an attempt to summarize the myriad of activities and plans required to finally implement the maintenance program. Although many of the elements of the program are in place, many are in various stages of completion. The main components of the program (policy's objectives, strategies used, specific subprograms, maintenance plans and their integration) are presented in brief along with the performance indicators used to assess the effectiveness of the program and maintenance activities. The new programs intended to be developed are also specified, as well as the main comments and recommendations received from IAEA experts. (author)