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January 4, 2011

France's nuclear safety regulator, the Autorite De Surete Nucleaire (ASN), yesterday submitted its 524-page report on the post-Fukushima stress tests. ASN head Andre-Claude Lacoste said the Fukushima accident "marks nuclear history" in the same way as the only other nuclear power accidents that have affected the public: at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl. "There will be a before and after Fukushima," said Lacoste.

The focus of additional safety in response to previous accidents was to develop universal excellence in nuclear operation, first across the USA as facilitated by the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) and then globally through its sister, the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO). By contrast, Fukushima could not have been prevented by better operation but rather by better appreciation of external risks and their on-site consequences. For this reason two of the fundamental drives in ASN's requirements are improvements in earthquake and flood protection.

This enhanced preparation for natural disasters is to be complimented by prevention of risk from nearby industrial activity. Nuclear power plants may be located near major and potentially dangerous industries such as chemical processing, liquid natural gas storage or hydroelectric power generation. EDF will have to prepare itself and its sites for potentially enormous failures at nearby facilities like these.

In an accident situation the ASN wants French reactors to be able to rely on what it calls a 'hard core' set of safety requirements. These arrangements would protect safety-critical structures and equipment to ensure that vital functions can be maintained in the face of demands beyond the design basis of the plant, such as earthquakes, fires, or the prolonged loss of power or emergency cooling. Among the 'hard core' set-up would be robust emergency centres, improved communication and hardened supplies of water, diesel generators and dosimetry supplies for workers.

At the same time, a 'rapid action' force should be available to support any plant in the country within 24 hours, coming complete with highly capable staff and equipment such as mobile diesel generators and even a helicopter. This idea was suggested by EDF and a trial exercise has already been carried out at the Cruas-Meysse nuclear power plant. The nuclear group will compliment another national crisis group dubbed 'FIRE' that supports grid restoration.

ASN also wants all French operators to examine their options to construct a barrier to prevent the contamination of surface or groundwater under any circumstance. Operators using pools to store used nuclear fuel are to strengthen their protection against losing water.

Source: World Nuclear News, "Post-Fukushima era begins for France", January 4, 2012