Following the unprecedented events in Japan we have been carefully considering how we will take forward our Generic Design Assessment and other new nuclear build work and discussing potential implications with industry.
Chris Huhne (Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change), has asked Mike Weightman (HM Chief Inspector of Nuclear Installations), to provide reports to the Government on the implications and any lessons to be learned for the UK. The reports will draw on similar work being undertaken by others, both nationally and internationally, and will be put in the public domain. As well as considering any implications for the UK’s existing nuclear sites, the reports will also inform the UK regulators’ assessments for the new nuclear build programme. Both industry and the regulators will need to take account of Mike Weightman’s recommendations.
The regulators and Requesting Parties (RPs) have already done a significant amount of work on the reactor designs undergoing GDA. By June 2011, the regulators would have completed the assessment work necessary for us to make decisions on whether to provide interim Design Acceptance Confirmations (DACs) and interim Statements of Design Acceptability (SoDAs). This assessment work is also identifying the “GDA Issues” to be addressed by the RPs beyond June 2011. GDA Issues must be resolved to our satisfaction before we would consider issuing final DACs and SODAs and concluding GDA.
As Mike Weightman’s interim report is expected in May and his final report in September we will not now draw conclusions from our assessments in June 2011 as planned. This will allow us to take account of relevant recommendations from these reports. However, we still intend to publish the GDA Issues we have identified and the RPs’ Resolution Plans in the summer. We will include in the GDA Issues a requirement to address any relevant recommendations. Once Mike Weightman’s recommendations are known, the RPs can develop credible plans to address them. In the meantime, the Requesting Parties can continue to work on the issues that we have identified. This will allow us to maximise the benefit of the assessment work we have already done, and also ensure that the generic reactor designs take account of relevant lessons learned from the events in Japan. Regulators and industry will be able to assess any impact on the overall timeframe for Generic Design Assessment (GDA) and site licensing and permitting processes once Mike Weightman’s recommendations are known.
Safety and protection of people and the environment will always be our top priority and it is important that we take the necessary time needed to ensure that we learn any relevant lessons emerging from the events in Japan, and implement any improvements that might be required to the new reactor designs.
Scope of Japan 'lessons learned' report for the UK nuclear industry
On 29 March Mike Weightman outlined the broad subject areas he'll be covering in his report, requested by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Chris Huhne, on the implications and lessons learned for the UK nuclear industry of the unprecedented events unfolding in Japan.
On 29 March Mike Weightman outlined the broad subject areas he'll be covering in his report, requested by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, Chris Huhne, on the implications and lessons learned for the UK nuclear industry of the unprecedented events unfolding in Japan.
