Generic designs for two nuclear reactors proposed for construction in the UK have been granted interim design acceptance by the Office for Nuclear Regulation and the Environment Agency. The regulators have also published various reports detailing the assessments and explaining their decisions.
Our latest routine quarterly report on the progress of Generic Design Assessment of the AP1000 and UK EPR reactors is available.
The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has received an application from NNB Generation Company for a nuclear site licence, relating to its proposed development of a new nuclear power station in Hinkley Point, Somerset.
The Office for Nuclear Regulation and Environment Agency have completed their initial assessment of the safety cases for the two proposed new reactor designs and have published all of the issues that still need resolving.
For both designs, the regulators are confident that industry can produce credible plans for resolving all of the issues, and, with the exception of those relating to the lessons learnt from Fukushima, they will be published on our website in the next few weeks. The plans relating to Fukushima should be available in the Autumn, after the Chief Inspector's lessons learnt report is published.
This is a key milestone in the generic design assessment, but it is not the end of the process. Industry will need to resolve to the regulators’ satisfaction all of the outstanding issues before we will consider granting permission for any new reactor of that design to be built.
The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has informed Westinghouse that it has agreed to close a 'regulatory issue' raised against its AP1000 reactor design. The regulatory issue, opened in February 2010 by ONR's predecessor organisation (HSE's Nuclear Directorate) concerned the AP1000's civil structures, which were assessed by the regulator as part of the Generic Design Assessment, run jointly by ONR and the Environment Agency.
ONR has judged that although there are still design issues with the civil structures, progress made by the company means that these are now less significant and the regulator is confident that Westinghouse will be able to resolve them satisfactorily before final 'design acceptance confirmation' is granted.
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.
The new statutory corporation, Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR), has been created and takes on the relevant functions currently carried out by the Health and Safety Executive and the Department for Transport to regulate the nuclear power industry.
Kevin Allars, Programme Director of New Build at the HSE, and Joe McHugh, Head of Radioactive Substances Regulation at the Environment Agency, have today published the fourth Generic Design Assessment (GDA) Quarterly Report for 2010 (October - December). This is the final substantial quarterly report of GDA before conclusions are published on 30 June 2011. It provides an update on the work to assess the safety cases for the new nuclear power station designs and looks at the key challenges ahead.
HSE have continued to progress Step 4 of the assessment for the Westinghouse AP1000 and the EDF and AREVA UK EPR™. A number of meetings took place to agree with the Requesting Parties (RPs) what further information they will provide during the coming months, and which areas are likely to require further work beyond June 2011.
On 18 October the Environment Agency completed its consultation on its GDA findings to date. Responses received have been published, and are currently being considered.
No showstoppers have been identified so far, and subject to further progress on some key areas in the next few months the regulators’ expect to be able to issue an Interim DAC and Interim SoDA for each design on 30 June 2011.
On Friday 12 November, HSE’s Nuclear Directorate informed EDF and AREVA that it has closed the Regulatory Issue (RI) placed on the proposed Control & Instrumentation system for the European Pressurized Water Reactor (EPR). This reflects the fact that, while there are some outstanding actions to complete, we are satisfied that they have addressed the majority of the key actions associated with the RI, and those that remain now equate to the status of a Regulatory Observation (RO) within the GDA process. We have therefore issued an RO to formally record this position.
While EDF and AREVA have put in a considerable amount of high quality work to get to this position, they still need to commit a high level of their attention and resource to successfully meet the UK EPR Programme.
We believe that the work done by EDF and AREVA demonstrates that Regulatory Issues can be resolved and that issuing an RI does not equate to a show-stopping issue.
Kevin Allars, Director of New Build GDA at the HSE, and Joe McHugh, Head of Radioactive Substances Regulation at the Environment Agency, have today published the third Quarterly Report for 2010 (July - September). This provides an update on our work to assess the safety cases for the new nuclear power station designs and looks at the key challenges ahead.
Progress continues on the assessment, however, it is expected that some limited GDA work will be required by the RPs beyond June 2011 to address some of the issues arising, therefore it is looking more likely that we could issue an Interim DAC rather than a DAC in June 2011.
Although we are confident that we can complete a meaningful assessment by June 2011, this remains a significant challenge and we are relying on the requesting parties to provide us with the appropriate and timely information we require to complete our assessment.
Kevin Allars, Director of New Build GDA at the HSE, and Joe McHugh, Head of Radioactive Substances Regulation at the Environment Agency, have today published the second Quarterly Report for 2010 (April–June). This provides an update on our work to assess the safety cases for the new nuclear power station designs and looks at the key challenges ahead.
Progress continues on the assessment, and we are signalling that some GDA work may be required by the Requesting Parties beyond June 2011, when we plan to complete our assessment of the reactor design safety cases. We are flagging up these issues, so that the Requesting Parties can either redouble their efforts to address them, or begin the process of developing credible Resolution Plans.
However, we have identified no issues so far that we believe cannot be resolved, and there is still time before June 2011 for the Requesting Parties to fully address our concerns. We remain confident that a meaningful assessment will be completed by June 2011.
The Environment Agency has today launched a consultation on their preliminary conclusions following their detailed assessment so far of the EDF and AREVA UK EPR and Westinghouse AP1000 new nuclear plant designs.
They will carefully consider respondents’ views in reaching their decision on whether to issue a statement of design acceptability.
The 16 week consultation began on 28 June 2010 and will close on 18 October 2010. Responses should arrive by 18 October 2010.
Kevin Allars, Director of New Build GDA at the HSE, and Joe McHugh, Head of Radioactive Substances Regulation at the Environment Agency, have today published the first Quarterly Report for 2010 (Jan – Mar). This provides an update on our work to assess new nuclear power station designs and looks at the key challenges ahead.
Good progress continues on the assessment and although many issues remain open and require further work, the Requesting Parties are making progress in addressing them.
The next key milestone will be the Environment Agency’s consultation on the environmental part of the assessment, which will commence on Monday 28 June 2010. In parallel, HSE will continue to progress its detailed assessment for Step 4.
HSE and the Environment Agency remain confident that a meaningful assessment will be completed by June 2011.
We have published guidance on the management of the outcomes of the Generic Design Assessment (GDA).
This builds on a discussion paper published in May 2009 and takes into account the feedback received from stakeholders. It sets out the outcomes that can be expected in June 2011, when we complete our assessment of the safety case of the designs. It also simplifies and makes clear what these outcomes mean and how any outstanding GDA Issues will be managed subsequently within the GDA process.
The HSE’s Nuclear Directorate, the UK’s nuclear safety and security regulator, has raised a Regulatory Issue (RI) against Westinghouse’s AP1000 nuclear reactor design, and in parallel, released a UK Regulatory position statement.
Kevin Allars, Director of New Build GDA at the HSE, and Joe McHugh, Head of Radioactive Substances Regulation at the Environment Agency, have today published the fourth Quarterly Report for 2009 (October – December). This provides an update on our work to assess new nuclear power station designs.
In summary, good progress continues on the assessment, but many technical issues remain open and the successful clearance of these will require high quality and timely information from the Requesting Parties (RPs).
The fact that issues are being identified should be seen as evidence of an independent and robust regulatory process, and evidence that GDA is working as intended, allowing issues to be identified and addressed well in advance of major construction in the UK.
On 27th November 2009, HSE met a major milestone when it published 33 comprehensive reports. These reports reflect the progress made, and highlight the issues identified during Step 3 of the assessment.
Looking forward, the next key milestone will be the start of the Environment Agency’s consultation on the environmental part of the assessment due to start in May. In parallel, HSE will continue to progress its detailed assessment for Step 4.
HSE and the Environment Agency remain confident, subject to timely provision of the necessary information required from the RPs, that a meaningful generic design assessment will be delivered in June 2011 for both designs.
HSE have published a number of reports following Step 3 of the assessment process for new power station designs. Step 3 provides an overall safety and security review and analysis of the proposed reactor designs.
The UK nuclear safety regulator (HSE), the French nuclear regulator (ASN), and the Finnish nuclear regulator (STUK) are currently working to assess AREVA’s EPR Pressurised Water Reactor, and have issued a joint statement regarding the Control and Instrumentation (C&I) systems.
Kevin Allars, Director of New Build GDA at the HSE, and Joe McHugh, Head of Radioactive Substances Regulation at the Environment Agency, published the third Quarterly Report for 2009 (July-September) today. This provides an update on our work to assess new nuclear power station designs.
In summary, we have continued to make good progress on technical issues and assessment resources. We have continued to work closely with the Requesting Parties, potential operators, overseas regulators and other stakeholders.
Looking forward, the next major milestones are the delivery of the HSE Step 3 reports on 27 November and the start of the Environment Agency’s consultation, on that part of the assessment, around May/June 2010. We remain on course to complete a meaningful GDA in June 2011.
Kevin Allars, Director of New Build GDA at the HSE, and Joe McHugh, Head of Radioactive Substances Regulation at the Environment Agency, published the second Quarterly Report (April -June 2009) today. This provides an update on our work to assess new nuclear power station designs.
In summary, we have continued to make good progress on technical issues and assessment resources. We have continued to work closely with the Requesting Parties, potential operators, overseas regulators and other stakeholders, as well as issuing guidance and discussion documents, and improving public access to information and ourselves.
The HSE is on track to publish its Step 3 reports on 27 November 2009, and the Environment Agency will issue its consultation in May 2010. Together, we remain on track to complete GDA in June 2011.
A new satellite office in Cheltenham opened on 13 July 2009. London and Cheltenham have been chosen as regional ND offices because of their strategic locations for recruitment. They are in addition to HSE’s main office in Bootle.
The plans to create a new nuclear statutory corporation have reached a key milestone with the launch of the official public consultation on the proposals on 30 June. The consultation is being led by Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and DWP and will last for 12 weeks. You can find out more about the proposals and how to respond to the consultation via the DECC website.
Following on from a seminar for potential operators, held on 26 February 2008, the HSE and the Environmental Agency held a second joint seminar at Aintree, Liverpool on 13 May 2009.
The aim of the seminar was to update potential nuclear power station operators on the joint HSE/Environment Agency Generic Design Assessment process, help them to understand the process for applying for site licences and environmental permits and, in particular, to understand the responsibilities of nuclear power station operators in the UK.
Kevin Allars, the Director of New Nuclear Build Generic Design Assessment (GDA), published three reports on the HSE’s work to assess the new nuclear power stations designs that could be developed in the UK over the coming years. These are:
The HSE also published its responses to the PRB and AMTEC Reports.
Kevin Allars said:
“We remain on track to complete the GDA assessment by June 2011. Although significant challenges still exist, particularly in recruiting the specialist staff we need, I am confident we can address them.
“We are now making real progress on the recruitment/redeployment of staff and applying best practice project management principles, which will allow us to develop a stronger and more focussed project management capability within the team.
“In an effort to ensure that we are as transparent as possible, in November this year, I intend to publish assessment reports to mark the end of Step 3 and then the Step 4 Reports in June 2011.
“Although GDA remains a significant challenge, I am confident that the HSE and industry teams can ensure a successful outcome.”
The Government published a list of sites that have been accepted into the Strategic Siting Assessment process and that could be potential hosts to a new nuclear power station in the UK. Details of the announcement can be found at: http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/news/.
For more information on the Strategic Siting Assessment (SSA) process, visit: http://www.nuclearpowersiting.decc.gov.uk
The Nuclear Directorate is looking to recruit Nuclear Inspectors in a range of disciplines. Could you use your proven track record as a high quality professional to secure and improve nuclear safety through your expertise, experience and personal qualities? If so then visit the following website for more information about a fascinating, challenging and highly rewarding career as a nuclear inspector.
The HSE today published its strategy for working with, and using information from, overseas regulators during the assessment of new nuclear power station designs.
As part of its drive to increase the pace of GDA, NII has started to place work packages with contractors to help it carry out its detailed technical assessment of new nuclear power station designs. So far, it has placed 8 work packages with a total value of around £1m. NII expects to place more work packages over the coming weeks and months.
HSE established the framework agreement, including 31 Technical Support Contractors, across a range of 15 technical areas using the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) process. OJEU is the publication in which all contracts from the public sector valued above a certain financial threshold must be published.
The framework allows NII to bring in technical support in specific areas to support their assessment work.
The Environment Agency recently published new guidance on the disposal of radioactive waste to near surface facilities, in partnership with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA).
The Environment Agency has also published new guidance on geological disposal facilities in partnership with the NIEA.
The Environment Agency has recently published the second report describing the environmental performance of the nuclear sector in England and Wales in 2007. The report measures performance against the objectives and performance indicators set out in the nuclear sector plan.
Overall, the report concluded that the environmental performance of the sector was good during 2007, with improvements against previous performance in a number of areas.
The Nuclear Development Forum, chaired by Ed Miliband, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, held its second meeting. At the event, the Government published:
The Government announced its new policy on low-level radioactive waste (LLW) management in March 2007. The policy now allows the nuclear industry to dispose of this type of waste to landfill.
Landfill companies and nuclear operators can now apply to the Environment Agency for authorisations to dispose of low-level radioactive waste. Before we issue a permit, the landfill operator must prove that disposal can be carried out safely.
The Environment Agency has published guidance on how it will regulate the disposal of low-level radioactive waste to landfill sites.
The Environment Agency has recently published the results of radiological monitoring conducted by the environment agencies (The Environment Agency for England and Wales), the Northern Ireland Environment Agency and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency) and Food Standards Agency during 2007.
The RIFE Report (Radioactivity in Food and the Environment) will help you to understand the impact of radioactivity. It provides an in-depth assessment of radioactivity levels and the public’s exposure to it, including around the UK's 39 nuclear sites.
The report shows that:
The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) has recently launched a Government consultation on a process for determining the strategic suitability of sites that may be proposed for the construction of new nuclear power stations.
One important factor affecting whether a potential site is suitable for a new power station is the density and distribution of the nearby population, and BERR has been developing proposals for this ‘demographic criterion’. Recently, BERR sought the views of HSE’s Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) on the suitability of the existing Government reactor siting policy which had been set out in a statement to Parliament in 1988. In providing its views to BERR, NII was able to draw on the results of a recent review which it had undertaken into its regulatory approach both to the siting of any new nuclear facility and to providing advice to local planning authorities regarding developments in the vicinity of existing nuclear licensed sites. NII advised BERR that in the light of worldwide experience in nuclear reactor operation, and allowing credit to be taken for robust safety features which are available in modern nuclear plant design:
In practice, however, the acceptability of any new build proposal would not be decided until NII has been able to consider the detailed design proposal and to assess the site-specific safety case.
NII has recently reviewed its regulatory approach both to the siting of any new nuclear facility and to providing advice to local planning authorities regarding developments in the vicinity of existing nuclear licensed sites. This has led us to adopt a goal-setting approach based upon the demonstration of achieving the risk targets specified within the HSE Safety Assessment Principles (SAPs). For new installations, including new reactors, this approach would be applied by NII once details of the proposed installation and its safety case had been submitted as part of a nuclear site licence application. Technical details of NII’s revised approach were given in a presentation by NII to the July 2008 meeting of HSE’s independent Nuclear Safety Advisory Committee (NuSAC). Because of the technical nature of the papers presented to NuSAC, NII intends shortly to describe its revised approach in a set of more accessible documents suitable for both the general public and for more specialist audiences.
Broadly, NII’s review recommends a two step process:
Step 1: Generic Screening: A design independent screening process to determine whether a site is automatically excluded (because the near site population density is too high), or included as a potentially suitable site. Where appropriate, this will take account of any relevant SSA assessment that the Government may have already undertaken for that site.
Step 2: Site and Design Specific For sites where Step 1 has identified them as potentially suitable, the viability of the site will be determined on the basis of the risk presented to persons off the site compared with the risk targets that NII applies in its SAPs. This assessment will be undertaken by NII specialists, taking fully into account the degree to which the application has demonstrated that the risk is both compliant with the risk targets in the SAPs and is as low as reasonably practicable.
In practice, if a design is shown to present a risk which is well below the NII’s risk target, then demographic restrictions are unlikely to be a factor in its siting - providing the population density is no higher than the recommended exclusionary limit (the "semi-urban" siting criterion).
The technical papers describing NII’s siting review and the NII presentation to the July 2008 NuSAC meeting are available on the NuSAC webpage:
