Integrated Plant Life Cycle Management: The IAEA Contribution

For the past couple of decades there has been a change of emphasis in the world nuclear power from that of building new Nuclear Power Plants (NPP) to that of taking measures to optimize the life cycle of operational plants. National approaches in many countries showed an increase of interest in Plant Life Management (PLIM), both in terms of plant service life assurance and in optimizing the service or operational life of NPP. A strong convergence of views is emerging from different National approaches, particularly in the area of the economic aspects of NPP operation and in the evolution in the scope of NPP PLIM. The latter can directly affect the cost of electricity from NPP in an increasingly competitive environment. The safety considerations of a NPP are paramount and those requirements have to be met to obtain and to extend/renew the operating license. To achieve the goal of the long term safe, economic and reliable operation of the plant an Integrated Life Cycle Management Programme (ILCMP) is necessary. Some countries already have advanced PLIM Programmes while others still have none. The ILCMP objective is to identify all that factors and requirements for the overall plant life cycle. The optimization of these requirements would allow for the minimum period of the investment return and maximum of the revenue from the sell of the produced electricity. Recognizing the importance of this issue and in response to the requests of the Member States the IAEA Division of Nuclear Power implements the Sub-programme on “Engineering and Management Support for Competitive Nuclear Power”. Four projects within this sub-programme deal with different aspects of the NPP life cycle management with the aim to increase the capabilities of interested Member States in implementing and maintenance of the competitive and sustainable nuclear power. Although all four projects contain certain issues of PLIM there is one specific project on guidance on engineering and management practices for optimization of NPP service life including decommissioning. This particular project deals with different specific issues of NPP life management including aspects of ageing phenomena and their monitoring, issues of control and instrumentation, maintenance and operation issues, economic evaluation of NPP life cycle management including guidance on its earlier shut down and decommissioning. The paper describes in detail the full scope IAEA activities on different issues of NPP life management and some of its achievements in this field during the nearest past as well as plans for the future.