Ensuring the long-term operation of nuclear power plants
From 5 to 8 November, Víctor Manuel García and María del Prado Ordiales participated in the “Technical Meeting on Safety Aspects of Long-Term Operation Peer Reviews During the Early Stages of Operation” organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) at the United Nations headquarters in Vienna. The main objective of the meeting was to discuss the results of the SALTO reviews to be carried out between 2020 and 2024 and to share the Lessons Learned with operators and regulators from Member States that have not yet requested these reviews, including Member States with nuclear power plants in the early operation or commissioning phase.
IDOM presented the methodology used in Spain, based on the CSN Safety Instruction IS-22, to implement the Ageing Management Plan in nuclear power plants to ensure their safe long-term operation. IDOM has extensive knowledge of this methodology and has implemented it in more than 80% of the country’s reactors. It has also supported the licence renewal processes for the operation of these reactors beyond 40 years of their original design life. The main conclusions of the SALTO missions to Spanish nuclear power plants in recent years were also presented.
Suggestions to improve the preparation for SALTO Peer Reviews, such as the possibility for Member States to invite preparatory activities such as workshops, support missions and others, were collected based on the discussions during the meeting. In addition, the possibility of conducting tailor-made SALTO missions depending on the specific needs of the NPP was highlighted, which may be particularly attractive for countries with special circumstances or concerns.
Finally, there was a review of the SALTO guidelines and recommendations for improvements which will be useful to the mission in the early stages.
We would like to thank the IAEA for inviting us to this event, which allowed us to participate in this rewarding experience, where representatives from Member States such as Argentina, Brazil, Bangladesh, Canada, Czech Republic, China, Germany, Hungary, India, Iran, Pakistan, Russian Federation, South Africa, United Kingdom and Turkey shared their knowledge and experiences of SALTO Peer Reviews.
