Utility view of relicensing criteria
The relicensing of a nuclear plant is a new and major US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) action that will undoubtedly require rule making before it can take place. What should be submitted and reviewed for relicensing is entirely unknown at this time. As a extreme approach to relicensing, the NRC could require a plant evaluation against the standard review plan. Plants would then have to meet all current interpretations of the regulations that exist at the time of the license renewal application. Few plants could economically meet this criteria and the rationale for this approach seems difficult to fathom. A more workable approach recognizes the plant as a entirely known entity, and so, focuses the renewal evaluation on age-related degradation of safety-significant equipment. Essentially this is the approach espoused by NUPLEX (the utility organization formed to deal with life extension issues). It would require that a plant maintain the licensing basis and the corresponding level of safety that have evolved during its initial term. The promulgation of relicensing criteria will not be forthcoming for at least several years. Yet, such criteria are required now to guide licensee evaluations for plants that have the earliest license expirations. The purpose of this paper is to suggest a regime for this set of licensing criteria, which might serve as reasonable license renewal criteria. With these, utilities could conduct engineering evaluations for license renewal with some comfort that such evaluations might conform somewhat to the criteria eventually promulgated by NRC.
- OSTI ID:
- 6947265
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-880422-
- Journal Information:
- Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc.; (United States), Journal Name: Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc.; (United States) Vol. 56; ISSN TANSA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
210700* -- Nuclear Power Plants-- Regulation & Licensing
LICENSING
MAINTENANCE
MANAGEMENT
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
PERFORMANCE
POWER PLANTS
REACTOR COMPONENTS
REACTOR LICENSING
REACTOR MAINTENANCE
REACTOR SAFETY
REGULATIONS
SAFETY
SERVICE LIFE
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
US NRC
US ORGANIZATIONS