Lessons learned from the document evaluation and assessment process extension of non-power reactor operation permit against the proposal amendments to regulations regarding aging management

Safe operation of aging research reactors worldwide still and always be a concern for research reactor operators, regulatory agencies and the public. Data from 2014 showed that 70 % of the 247 research reactors operating at that time had been operating for more than 30 years, of which about 55 % were operating beyond the design life. Consequently, the aging of structures, systems and components (SSC) will have an impact on the safety and availability of research reactors to continue operating, where the failure of SSC, especially in research reactors which also produces the isotope, has become one of the main causes of incidents reported in the research reactor incident reporting system. A study based on the literature has been carried out on the practice of extending operating licenses from international regulations, IAEA standards, Indonesian regulations including lessons learned from the evaluation process and document assessment when extending non-power reactor operating permits. This study is necessary because the aging management regulations are used by operating organizations and regulatory bodies as a guide in conducting aging studies and as a basis for granting extensions to non-power operating licenses. This study is expected to be used as one of the main ingredients in amending the aging management regulations and improving work instructions. The study concluded that aging management activities are closely related to several aspects of reactor operation such as maintenance, testing and inspection, periodic safety assessments, and equipment qualification. Other things that need to be considered are the critical SSC criteria and the concept of time limited aging analysis (TLAA) as a justification model for how long an operating license extension can be granted by the regulatory agency. (author)