Regulatory cross-cutting topics for fuel cycle facilities.

This report overviews crosscutting regulatory topics for nuclear fuel cycle facilities for use in the Fuel Cycle Research&Development Nuclear Fuel Cycle Evaluation and Screening study. In particular, the regulatory infrastructure and analysis capability is assessed for the following topical areas:Fire Regulations (i.e., how applicable are current Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and/or International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) fire regulations to advance fuel cycle facilities)Consequence Assessment (i.e., how applicable are current radionuclide transportation tools to support risk-informed regulations and Level 2 and/or 3 PRA) While not addressed in detail, the following regulatory topic is also discussed:Integrated Security, Safeguard and Safety Requirement (i.e., how applicable are current Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulations to future fuel cycle facilities which will likely be required to balance the sometimes conflicting Material Accountability, Security, and Safety requirements.

Scenarios for the development of smart grids in the UK: synthesis report

‘Smart grid’ is a catch-all term for the smart options that could transform the ways society produces, delivers and consumes energy, and potentially the way we conceive of these services. Delivering energy more intelligently will be fundamental to decarbonising the UK electricity system at least possible cost, while maintaining security and reliability of supply. Smarter energy delivery is expected to allow the integration of more low carbon technologies and to be much more cost effective than traditional methods, as well as contributing to economic growth by opening up new business and innovation opportunities. Innovating new options for energy system management could lead to cost savings of up to £10bn, even if low carbon technologies do not emerge. This saving will be much higher if UK renewable energy targets are achieved. Building on extensive expert feedback and input, this report describes four smart grid scenarios which consider how the UK’s electricity system might develop to 2050. The scenarios outline how political decisions, as well as those made in regulation, finance, technology, consumer and social behaviour, market design or response, might affect the decisions of other actors and limit or allow the availability of future options. The project aims to explore the degree of uncertainty around the current direction of the electricity system and the complex interactions of a whole host of factors that may lead to any one of a wide range of outcomes. Our addition to this discussion will help decision makers to understand the implications of possible actions and better plan for the future, whilst recognising that it may take any one of a number of forms

RISK-INFORMED DECISION MAKING AND THE REGULATION OF SMALL MODULAR REACTORS

This thesis argues that small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) can be regulated within the existing Canadian nuclear regulatory framework in light of existing regulatory principles, and that regulatory flexibility and the development of risk management practices will be crucial to accommodate the many challenges associated with their regulation. SMRs are characterized by their small size, modularity and innovative approaches to design. Though advantageous, these novel characteristics introduce uncertain and novel risks that pose challenges to Canada’s risk assessment and risk management practices. The most significant challenge to Canada’s regulators is how SMRs can be safely regulated while imposing regulations that have the appropriate scope, detail and content for each proposed SMR project. This thesis argues that Canada’s risk-informed decision-making process must be bolstered to mitigate the variability and uncertain risks of SMRs. Emphasis is placed on the utilization of the graded approach to accommodate the variability of SMR projects and demonstrate that associated risks meet regulatory objectives. In addition to the graded approach, this thesis proposes risk management approaches that may better utilize uncertainty analyses to ensure that conservative measures are appropriate and that regulatory objectives are satisfied. A method to elicit and assess expert judgment for risk-informed decision-making is proposed to alleviate risk uncertainty and fill gaps in risks. Using these tools, regulators may better accommodate the risks of SMRs without relying on conservative measures to justify the satisfaction of regulatory requirements. This thesis also investigates how type certification of SMR designs can be used to streamline the licensing process to take advantage of their quick construction and installation times. Type certification is the process of certifying a design such that reproductions of that design are assumed to meat regulatory requirements thereby reducing the depth of analysis for subsequent risk assessments of the same reactor. In the type certification process, the assurance that SMR designs can be reproduced by the manufacturer consistently and accurately is a significant concern. The examination of the aviation industry and maritime transport industry yield effective strategies for assuring the reproducibility of SMR designs that may be implemented within Canada

Determining the optimal nuclear safety regulatory approach for South Africa's expanding nuclear power industry

South Africa is poised to expand significantly its nuclear power generation industry. Considering that the current South African nuclear safety regulatory approach is applied to regulate the operation and maintenance of one mature nuclear power plant, it is expected that significant adaptation of this approach will occur for the regulatory system to accommodate the planned industry expansion. This dissertation tests the hypothesis that the optimal nuclear safety regulatory approach for South Africa’s planned nuclear industry can already be determined by systematically comparing the suitability of various alternatives in use in the international nuclear industry. Investigating the validity of this hypothesis improves the understanding of the possibilities available for future nuclear safety regulation in South Africa and aids preparations and decision-making in this regard. Research was conducted on the various nuclear safety regulatory approaches applied internationally and on what determines the suitability of each approach in different circumstances. The characteristics of South Africa’s current and planned nuclear power generation industry were investigated. Applying multi-criteria decision making analysis methodology, a test was developed and used to systematically assess the relative suitability of the various regulatory approaches to the South African context. The three primary approaches to nuclear safety regulation considered were the prescriptive approach, the performance based approach and the goal-setting approach. Based on currently available information, the test results show that the goal-setting regulatory approach is the optimal approach for South Africa’s planned nuclear power industry. However research findings also show that the state level bilateral cooperation the South African government would pursue to develop South Africa’s fleet approach to the 9,6 gigawatt nuclear new build programme may have sufficient influence on South Africa’s nuclear industry to change South Africa’s optimal nuclear safety regulatory approach or make this plant specific. The benefits of aligning South Africa’s nuclear safety regulatory approach with the approach applied in the fleet vendor company’s country of origin may outweigh other considerations. The vendor company for South Africa’s nuclear new build programme is not yet known. Even though systematic comparison of the suitability of various regulatory approaches shows that the goal-setting nuclear safety regulatory approach is the optimal approach for South Africa, the hypothesis is shown to be false. The optimal nuclear safety regulatory approach for South Africa’s planned nuclear industry cannot already be determined, since bilateral cooperation with the nuclear new build fleet vendor company’s country of origin may be the dominant factor in shaping South Africa’s nuclear safety regulatory approach. In the interim and in the event that strategic regulatory alignment for the new build fleet is not embarked upon, the research findings and test results have an important implication: Applying the goal-setting approach as the dominant nuclear safety regulatory approach can optimize nuclear safety regulation of South Africa’s nuclear industry

Analysis and Insights from a Dynamical Model of Nuclear Plant Safety Risk

In this paper, we expand upon previously reported results of a dynamical systems model for the impact of plant processes and programmatic performance on nuclear plant safety risk. We utilize both analytical techniques and numerical simulations typical of the analysis of nonlinear dynamical systems to obtain insights important for effective risk management. This includes use of bifurcation diagrams to show that period doubling bifurcations and regions of chaotic dynamics can occur. We also investigate the impact of risk mitigating functions (equipment reliability and loss prevention) on plant safety risk and demonstrate that these functions are capable of improving risk to levels that are better than those that are represented in a traditional risk assessment. Next, we analyze the system response to the presence of external noise and obtain some conclusions with respect to the allocation of resources to ensure that safety is maintained at optimal levels. In particular, we demonstrate that the model supports the importance of management and regulator attention to plants that have demonstrated poor performance by providing an external stimulus to obtain desired improvements. Equally important, the model suggests that excessive intervention, by either plant management or regulatory authorities, can have a deleterious impact on safety for plants that are operating with very effective programs and processes. Finally, we propose a modification to the model that accounts for the impact of plant risk culture on process performance and plant safety risk. We then use numerical simulations to demonstrate the important safety benefits of a strong risk culture.Nonlinear Dynamical Systems, Process Model, Risk Management