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by Janet Wood
An expert review group has confirmed that the UK’s operating nuclear reactors will need extensive upgrades after lessons were learnt from the Fukushima accident.
The raft of improvements to be made as a result of “stress tests” mandated by the European Commission – most already identified by the Office of Nuclear Regulation and the plant operators – include changes to nuclear plants and associated structures such as fuel storage areas, new safety measures such as upgraded emergency control rooms, and more effective emergency organisation.
Areas that need more work include analysis to support seismic and flooding safety measures, some of which have not been tested against modern standards. Also, there is inconsistency between the measures and assessments for different plants.
The experts said more work should be done to assess complex events. They could include occasions when more than one reactor at a site was affected, such as flooding. More work is also needed on ways to handle unexpected combinations of events or those that have long-term or widespread effects, such as severe weather that could limit site access and the ability to move emergency equipment into place.
There are some areas where small changes could greatly improve safety, such as holding more fuel on site to power backup generators for emergency site power or cooling.
New owners on the Horizon?
Speculation about potential buyers for Horizon, the Eon/RWE nuclear joint venture that aimed to build its first reactor in Wylfa, Wales, now places two Chinese companies top of the list, with partnership from Toshiba, parent of reactor manufacturer Westinghouse. Further speculation suggests the cost of what could be the UK’s first new nuclear unit, EDF’s proposal for Hinkley Point, has risen to £7 billion.
This article first appeared in Utility Week’s print edition of 11 May 2012.
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