IAEA team completes long-term safety review at Oskarshamn
An International Atomic Energy Agency team of experts has completed a review of long-term operational safety for Oskarshamn nuclear power plant's unit 3 in southern Sweden.
A Safety Aspects of Long-Term Operation (SALTO) peer review is a comprehensive safety review addressing strategy and key elements for the safe long-term operation (LTO) of nuclear power plants. SALTO missions complement IAEA Operational Safety Review Team (OSART) missions which are designed as a review of programmes and activities essential to operational safety. SALTO peer reviews can be carried out at any time during the lifetime of a nuclear power plant, though according to the IAEA the most suitable time lies within the last 10 years of the plant's originally foreseen operating period. SALTO and OSART reviews are carried out at the request of the IAEA Member State in which the review is to take place.
The review, which took place from 1 to 10 October, took place at the request of plant operator OKG AB and follows a pre-SALTO mission in 2022. The boiling water reactor was commissioned in 1985 - its service life was extended to 60 years and production capacity increased in 2009. The total power of the plant is about 1450 MWe and the annual production is around 11 TWh. A possible further life extension to 80 years is also under consideration.
The leader of the multinational 11-person SALTO team, IAEA Nuclear Safety Officer Bryce Lehman, said: "The team observed that OKG is preparing for safe long-term operation and the plant staff are cooperative, professional, and open to suggestions for improvement. We encourage the plant to address the review findings and implement the remaining activities for safe long-term operation as planned."
The mission team has produced recommendations and suggestions to further improve safe LTO, including the establishment of a comprehensive programme to identify ageing management activities and also the implementation of a comprehensive process to identify components requiring ageing management.
Examples of good performance to be shared with the nuclear industry globally included the development of a user-friendly database that shows each user their assigned maintenance activities and "reconstitution of design documentation in cooperation with the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and securing access to the OEM archives for the period of long term operation".
Johan Lundberg, President of OKG, said: "We appreciate the IAEA's support to our plant in ageing management and preparation for safe LTO. It is very important for us to get an external view on our business. The competencies and experience of the IAEA team enable it to effectively identify our areas for improvements. The results of this mission will help us to improve our activities for safe LTO and to further align them with IAEA safety standards."
A draft report has been provided to plant management and the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority. They have the opportunity to make factual comments on the draft, with the final report to be submitted to them and the Swedish government within three months.
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