HSE announces conclusions on Sizewell B safety review

E129:05 06 October 2005

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) today announced that it is content for the Sizewell B nuclear power station to operate for up to a further ten years, subject to continued satisfactory safety performance.

The decision follows independent assessment by HSE's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) of a Periodic Safety Review (PSR) submitted by the station licensee, British Energy Generation Ltd.

Each nuclear licensee is required to undertake PSRs at ten-year intervals, as a condition attached to their nuclear site licences. These reviews complement the normal regulatory controls applied to nuclear power stations and provide the opportunity to undertake a comprehensive study of each plant's safety, taking into account aspects such as its operational history, ageing factors and advances in safety standards since its construction.

The reviews are submitted to the NII for its consideration and assessment to evaluate whether an adequate level of safety has been achieved.

Having completed their assessment of the PSR, NII inspectors have concluded that it provides an adequate basis to allow the operation of Sizewell B up to 30 September 2015, subject to continued satisfactory performance. In reaching their decision, inspectors considered safety improvements already made at Sizewell B, together with a follow-up programme of work agreed with British Energy Generation Ltd.

The main elements of the follow-up programme, which form part of normal regulatory intervention, are maintenance of satisfactory progress on continuing improvements; and

demonstrating continued satisfactory results from the regular test and inspection programme that underpins the normal operation of the station.

Notes to editors

1. Sizewell B nuclear power station is situated on the Suffolk coast. The station is the UK's only civil pressurised water reactor (PWR) and commenced operation in 1995.

2. Prior to any nuclear installation being licensed, it must have a valid safety case, which is essentially a written justification that the condition of the plant will always remain adequately safe. The safety case must confirm that all potential hazards have been identified, appropriate standards have been met, adequate safety features are in place, all significant assumptions have been verified and validated, and all instructions, limits, conditions etc. required to maintain operations within speciifed safety margins have been identified.

3. As an installation ages, modifications may be made to the plant, components may need replacing and operating instructions may change as a result of experience. During all this time the safety case must remain valid. The PSRs are designed to ensure that a thorough, comprehensive review is made of the safety case at regular intervals throughout a nuclear power station's life.

4. The PSR's objectives are: to review the total current safety case for the station and confirm its adequacy; to compare against current standards for new plant, evaluate any deficiencies and implement any reasonably practicable improvements to enhance plant safety; to identify any ageing process which may limit the life of the plant; and to revalidate the safety case until the next PSR, subject to the outcome of routine regulation.

5. This first PSR for Sizewell B is one of a series of reviews undertaken at all nuclear licensed sites. These reviews are carried out every ten years, in line with international practice.

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