Regulation of the UK Nuclear Industry

Transcription

1 Regulation of the UK Nuclear Industry Andria Gilmour ONR Specialist Safety Inspector - Civil Engineering & External Hazards ICE Wales Cymru Energy Conference 27 April 2016

2 Content: Introduction to ONR Civil Engineering Structures in the Nuclear Industry Regulation of New Build Power Generation

3 Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) ONR established in April 2011 Statutory Corporation April 2014 Offices in Liverpool, Cheltenham and London Single, independent safety and security regulator for the UK nuclear Industry. Established from: o Nuclear Installations Inspectorate established following the 1957 Windscale accident o Office for Civil Nuclear Security o Radioactive Materials Transport Office (formally part of Dept. Transport) o UK Safeguards Office (formally part of Dept. Trade and Industry)

4 Mission To provide efficient and effective regulation of the nuclear industry, holding it to account on behalf of the public

5 Our Regulatory Responsibilities Conventional & Nuclear safety at nuclear sites Civil Nuclear Security Radioactive Materials Transport Safeguards Emergency Preparedness and Response

6 Sites We Regulate Operational Power Reactors Fuel Enrichment and Conversion Reprocessing Plants Waste Treatment and Disposal sites Decommissioning Defence

7 As Nuclear Regulators, we are Independent of Government and Industry Providing robust, independent, technical expert scrutiny Acting in an Open and Transparent way Ensuring people, and society are protected from the hazards of nuclear activity Enabling, BUT it must be safe, and secure.

8 Licence Conditions ONR attach conditions to Site Licences in the interests of: o Safety o Handling, treatment, disposal of nuclear materials Standard set of 36 Conditions o Make and implement adequate arrangements o Mostly non-prescriptive Construction & Commissioning Operation Decommissioning

9 Civil Engineering Structures The safety of all nuclear facilities relies to a greater or lesser extent upon the integrity and/or function (e.g. containment and support) of civil structures. Key safety related civil structures include the prestressed concrete pressure vessels of gas-cooled reactors and the containment building of Pressurised Water Reactors and Boiling Water Reactors. Key safety related civil structures must maintain their required functions during normal and fault conditions. Civil structures have very extended operational lifespan.

10 Regulating new nuclear build Regulators must consider 3 key elements: reactor design acceptability - safety, environment and security site operating organisation

11 ONR s New Build Power Generation Process Stage 1 - Generic Design Assessment. o Fundamental through to detailed safety features of proposed technology o Not location specific (anywhere in UK) o Helps to de-risk the site-specific licensing process o Includes public consultation o Must consider decommissioning o Reactors (being) assessed: o Areva UK EPR TM Design Acceptance Confirmation issued. o Westinghouse AP1000 Interim Design Acceptance Confirmation issued. o Hitachi UK ABWR Ongoing.

12 ONR s New Build Power Generation Process Stage 2 - Nuclear Site Licensing o Location specific o Organisational capability of Operator o Procurement and supply chain o Right first time construction philosophy o Issue of site licence at completion of stage Stage 3 - Construction o Compliance inspections of construction quality, materials, systems and processes (sampling) o Several permission hold points imposed before reactor going critical.

13 Other Potential Providers and Technologies Small modular Reactors China General Nuclear Power Group

14 Sources of Good Practice