Life-cycle management and long-term operation of nuclear power plants
Are you considering long-term operation of your nuclear power plant? Both you and the regulator will want guarantees. Guarantees about the safety implications and about the technical and economic aspects of Long-Term Operations.
NRG is Europe's leading independent consultancy on life-cycle management and long-term operation for Generation II nuclear power plants. It is acting as `owner's engineer` on Dutch utility EPZ's Long-Term Operation (LTO) project.
In 2006 the Netherlands decided to keep EPZ's Borssele nuclear power plant open until 2034. The plant became operational in 1973, and its engineered life cycle ends in 2013. Utility EPZ now has to demonstrate that it will be safe to operate the plant to 2034.
NRG has reinforced EPZ in the LTO project, deploying 10 professionals there since 2009. NRG has a specialist, independent role in the LTO project, enabling it to verify the research on the reactor vessel for EPZ using its own calculations. NRG is also managing a project to assess the ageing of the reactor's vital components, as well as performing the fatigue evaluation. Existing analyses with a 40-year horizon are being compared with the actual load on the safety-relevant components, to demonstrate that these components will not fail due to fatigue after 2013.
NRG was involved in the preparation for these studies back in 2004, and subsequently ran a number of individual projects and subprojects. The company is now (2010) advising its client on the entire LTO project. This is a position that no other independent consultant in Europe occupies.
The complexity and quantity of assessment and demonstrations in the LTO project require an overview. In its role as `owner's engineer`, NRG structured the LTO project in collaboration with EPZ, literally mapping what is to be done. This allows EPZ to manage the process. NRG is also assisting EPZ in the production of clear, accessible reports for the regulator, for the subsequent assessment and review.
Borssele is currently unique, one of the first nuclear power plants in Europe whose 40-year engineered lifespan is being extended to 60 years. Other European countries are also expected to extend the life of their nuclear plants. This gives EPZ in its role as client and NRG as `owner's engineer`a leading position in the West European market.