Regulatory Oversight of Ageing Management and Long Term Operation Programme of Nuclear Power Plants

By IAEA

As Member States seek to extend the operating lifetime of nuclear power plants beyond that which was originally licensed, safety oversight of ageing management and long term operation (LTO) has become increasingly important. This Safety Report provides technical and practical information based on existing regulatory approaches and practices of Member States, and the application of the IAEA Safety Standards. This includes requirements and pre-conditions of the regulatory body for LTO, authorization processes applied to LTO, and regulatory practices and documentation to prepare for and implement LTO. The report is intended for nuclear safety authorities, operating organizations, licensees, manufacturers, designers and technical support organizations considering authorization for LTO of nuclear power plants.

• Language: English
• Publisher: International Atomic Energy Agency
• Release date: Jun 7, 2022
• ISBN: 9789201083227

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Regulatory oversight

of ageing management

and long term operation

programme of nuclear

power plants

SAFETY REPORTS SERIES No. 109

Regulatory oversight

of ageing management

and long term operation

programme of nuclear

power plants

INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY

VIENNA, 2022

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

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© IAEA, 2022

Printed by the IAEA in Austria

June 2022

STI/PUB/1973

IAEA Library Cataloguing in Publication Data

Names: International Atomic Energy Agency.

Title: Regulatory oversight of ageing management and long term operation programme of nuclear power plants / International Atomic Energy Agency.

Description: Vienna : International Atomic Energy Agency, 2022. | Series: IAEA safety reports series, ISSN 1020–6450 ; no. 109 | Includes bibliographical references.

Identifiers: IAEAL 22-01493 | ISBN 978–92–0–108122–3 (paperback : alk. paper) | ISBN 978–92–0–108222–0 (pdf) | ISBN 978–92–0–108322–7 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH: Nuclear power plants — Maintainability. | Nuclear power plants — Safety measures. | Nuclear power plants — Reliability.

Classification: UDC 621.039.58 | STI/PUB/1973

FOREWORD

At present, a large number of nuclear power plants are completing their originally licensed lifetime and are in the process of extending their operational life by taking into account the assessment of the residual life of the vital components, equipment replacements or refurbishments. The safety of nuclear power plants during long term operation (LTO) has become more important owing to the increase in the number of licensees giving high priority to assessments for continuing operation of nuclear power plants beyond the time frame originally anticipated in the design. Accordingly, the regulatory framework for oversight of LTO has to take into account relevant safety aspects as an important basis for safe LTO.

The process for how LTO is to be implemented depends on the regulatory background and approaches applied in the Member State. However, the regulatory oversight and tasks related to ageing management and preparedness for, and implementation of, the LTO programme starts from the overall plans, and lasts through the preparatory activities and formal authorization of LTO to the period when nuclear power plants commence operation in the extended period. This Safety Report provides practical information based on existing regulatory practices of the Member States for regulatory oversight of ageing management, including equipment qualification, design modifications, replacement or refurbishment of structures, systems and components for ensuring safe LTO of nuclear power plants. This Safety Report addresses the regulatory framework, including regulations, regulatory requirements and guides, regulatory processes, practices applied for the oversight, competence and preparation of the regulatory body for oversight of the plant preparedness for, and implementation of, an LTO programme and other plant programmes with respect to ageing management. This Safety Report provides information for nuclear safety authorities, operating organizations, licensees, manufactures, designers and technical support organizations of the IAEA Member States considering authorization for LTO of currently operating nuclear power plants.

This Safety Report complements the IAEA Safety Standards Series No. GSR Part 1 (Rev. 1), Governmental, Legal and Regulatory Framework for Safety; No. SSR-2/2 (Rev. 1), Safety of Nuclear Power Plants: Commissioning and Operation; No. SSG-48, Ageing Management and Development of a Programme for Long Term Operation of Nuclear Power Plants; and No. GSG-13, Functions and Processes of the Regulatory Body for Safety.

The contributions of all those who were involved in the drafting and review of this publication are greatly appreciated. The IAEA officer responsible for this publication was G. Petofi of the Division of Nuclear Installation Safety.

EDITORIAL NOTE

Although great care has been taken to maintain the accuracy of information contained in this publication, neither the IAEA nor its Member States assume any responsibility for consequences which may arise from its use.

This publication does not address questions of responsibility, legal or otherwise, for acts or omissions on the part of any person.

Guidance provided here, describing good practices, represents expert opinion but does not constitute recommendations made on the basis of a consensus of Member States.

The use of particular designations of countries or territories does not imply any judgement by the publisher, the IAEA, as to the legal status of such countries or territories, of their authorities and institutions or of the delimitation of their boundaries.

The mention of names of specific companies or products (whether or not indicated as registered) does not imply any intention to infringe proprietary rights, nor should it be construed as an endorsement or recommendation on the part of the IAEA.

The IAEA has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third party Internet web sites referred to in this book and does not guarantee that any content on such web sites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.

The authoritative versions of the publications are the hard copies issued and available as PDFs on www.iaea.org/publications.To create the versions for e-readers, certain changes have been made, including the movement of some figures and tables.

CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. Background

1.2. Objective

1.3. Scope

1.4. Structure

2. LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR SAFETY IN MEMBER STATES

3. REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS CONSIDERED AS PRECONDITIONS FOR LONG TERM OPERATION

3.1. Requirements of the regulatory body

3.2. Safety improvements

4. NATIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND GUIDANCE FOR THE LONG TERM OPERATION AUTHORIZATION PROCESS

4.1. Approaches for the authorization of long term operation

4.2. Authorization process

5. NATIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND GUIDANCE FOR PLANT DOCUMENTATION AND PROGRAMMES RELEVANT FOR LONG TERM OPERATION

5.1. Updating the final safety analysis report

5.2. Plant configuration management

5.3. Management of modifications

5.4. Design basis documentation

5.5. Record keeping and documentation

5.6. Plant programmes

5.7. Additional plant programmes

6. NATIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND GUIDES FOR AGEING MANAGEMENT FOR LONG TERM OPERATION

6.1. Organizational arrangements

6.2. Scope setting for long term operation

6.3. Ageing management programmes

6.4. Ageing management review

6.5. Revalidation of time limited ageing analyses

6.6. Management of technological obsolescence

7. PERIODIC SAFETY REVIEW WITH RESPECT TO LONG TERM OPERATION

8. PREPARATION OF THE REGULATORY BODY FOR LONG TERM OPERATION PROGRAMME REVIEW

8.1. General considerations

8.2. Development and provision of regulations and guides

8.3. Training of staff

8.4. Internal processes, preparation for long term operation programme oversight, review and assessment, and authorization

8.5. Specific preparation of regulatory bodies reviewing the periodic safety review for long term operation

9. OVERSIGHT OF LONG TERM OPERATION PROGRAMME PREPARATION AND IMPLEMENTATION

9.1. Introduction

9.2. Review of scope setting for structures, systems and components for long term operation and ageing management evaluation

9.3. Regulatory review of plant programmes

9.4. Regulatory review of ageing management programmes and ageing management review

9.5. Regulatory review of time limited ageing analysis revalidation

9.6. Review of technological obsolescence programme

9.7. Review of periodic safety review for long term operation

9.8. Documentation of oversight

9.9. Management of regulatory findings

10. SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES OF THE REGULATORY BODY DURING IMPLEMENTATION OF LONG TERM OPERATION

REFERENCES

ABBREVIATIONS

CONTRIBUTORS TO DRAFTING AND REVIEW

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. Background

IAEA Safety Standards Series No. GSR Part 1 (Rev. 1), Governmental, Legal and Regulatory Framework for Safety [1], states in para. 4.40 that:

[t]he regulatory body shall review and assess the particular facility or activity in accordance with the stage in the regulatory process (initial review, subsequent reviews, reviews of changes to safety related aspects of the facility or activity, reviews of operating experience, or reviews of long term operation, life extension, decommissioning or release from regulatory control). The depth and scope of the review and assessment of the facility or activity by the regulatory body shall be commensurate with the radiation risks associated with the facility or activity, in accordance with a graded approach.

According to GSR Part 1 (Rev. 1) [1], it