The Government states that the UK needs new and replacement energy supplies that can provide secure, reliable, low carbon electricity, and that nuclear power should play a part in this.
ONR and the Environment Agency are working together to assess new nuclear power station designs to ensure that they are safe, secure and environmentally acceptable. They are doing this using a process called Generic Design Assessment.
Generic Design Assessment is the process being used by the nuclear regulators (ONR and the Environment Agency) to assess the new nuclear power station designs. It allows the regulators to assess the safety, security and environmental implications of new rector designs, separately from applications to build them at specific sites.
Generic Design Assessment allows the regulators to get involved with designers at the earliest stage, where they have the most influence. By assessing at the design stage, any potential issues can be identified and highlighted so they can be addressed by the requesting parties (the companies who have submitted a design for assessment) before commitments are made to construct the reactors.
ONR are using a step-wise approach with the assessment becoming more detailed at each step. ONR publish their findings in a set of reports at the end of steps 2, 3 and 4. The Environment Agency carried out an initial assessment and a more detailed assessment prior to consulting on its findings in summer 2010. We conduct our work in an open and transparent way.
The Generic Design Assessment and all related costs will be paid by the Requesting Parties.
Security forms a major part of the GDA process. Security specialists are analysing the designs to ensure new facilities will be secure and this takes into account all aspects of Protective Security.
As nuclear regulators, we recognise that we are acting in the public interest. It is important therefore that we are open about what we do in their interests, how and why. In order to achieve this, we publish extensive information relating to the assessment, including technical reports, guidance, and regular updates on our progress, and also allow people to input to our work via our public comments process and the Environment Agency's consultation.
We have asked the designers of the power stations to publish design information on their websites, and encourage people to comment. In addition, the ONR has invited comments on its Step 3 assessment reports published in November 2009, and the Environment Agency will be running a consultation in May/June 2010. All relevant comments are taken into account in our assessment.
The assessment should take just under 4 years. It began in August 2007 and we will be producing our Step 4 reports in June 2011.
Yes. There was a shortage of experienced assessors early on in the assessment, however, we now have a full team in place and are confident that we have enough assessors to complete the assessment.
If designers do not provide sufficient information, or if our assessment identifies safety, environment or security issues that are so significant that we are not confident that they can be resolved.
In addition to the assessment reports that we publish, we also publish quarterly update reports, and offer an eBulletin service which you can sign up for to receive regular email updates.
A site licence is a licence that must be granted before a new reactor can be built and operated on a specific site. Before we grant a licence, we will ensure that the site is safe and secure, the site is suitable for the particular design, and that the potential operator can adequately control construction, operation and maintenance of the plant to ensure safety and security.
Site licensing will begin when we receive an application from a potential operator. If a site licence is applied for before the end of GDA, then we will progress this at the same time.
Ultimately the nuclear industry, but the Government have carried out a Strategic Siting Assessment using a set of criteria, to identify potential sites for new build in the UK.
The sites currently nominated by Government are Hinkley Point, Oldbury, Sellafield, Sizewell and Wylfa.
This will be different for each site, however the new reactors are expected to be up and running by the end of 2025.
Once a power station is active, we inspect the activities of nuclear licensees to ensure they effectively manage health, safety and waste. We will take enforcement action as required, from providing advice through to prosecution should the licensee fail to meet their duties.
We are prepared to help deal with a nuclear emergency. Before active commissioning is started, the licensee must ensure adequate emergency arrangements are in place and an emergency exercise must be completed to our satisfaction.
