European Nuclear Stress Tests Report Makes Four Recommendations

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources Europe (Galway, Ireland)--One of the most thorough multinational safety reviews of nuclear power, the post-Fukushima European stress tests process, has now been completed. Reports for 143 nuclear power reactors in 17 countries (15 in the European Union, plus Switzerland and Ukraine) were produced, analysed by national regulators and peer reviewed by 70 experts under the European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group (ENSREG). For additional information see May 26, 2011 article - Europe Agrees 'Stress Tests' Conditions for Nuclear Power Plants.

The tests mainly focused on natural events, including earthquakes, flooding, extreme weather, the loss of safety systems and severe accident management. The review report compiled by the ENSREG on the national safety assessments of European nuclear power plants identifies four main areas where improvements are needed in these facilities, as follows:

1. Standardise safety margins. Although the peer reviews found that the national reports were generally compliant with ENSREG guidance for earthquakes and flooding, there was a lack of consistency identified with respect to natural hazards, where significant differences exist in national approaches and where difficulties were encountered beyond design margins and cliff-edge effects assessments. It has recommended that the Western European Nuclear Regulators Association (WENRA) develop guidance.

2. Plan to carry out another periodic safety review in 2021. ENSREG said that the peer review process has demonstrated the usefulness of carrying out a periodic safety review, particularly for natural hazards, and suggests it should be repeated every decade.

3. Start carrying out containment integrity protections now. The ENSREG report calls for improved resilience through the urgent implementation of the recognised measures to protect containment integrity.

4. Improve defences against natural hazards through the implementation of measures allowing prevention of accidents and limitation of their consequences in cases of extreme natural hazards.

The report made two other recommendations, both of which fell outside of the remit of its original mandate. First, it recommended a follow-up to check implementation of its guidance. Second, it recommended that European countries consider off-site emergency preparedness.

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