National technical capability development in nuclear power programmes

S. K. SHARMA, formerly of Atomic Energy Regulatory

Board of India, India

Abstract: This chapter briefly describes the need and the means for developing national technical capabilities for setting up the first nuclear power plant (NPP) in a country and its operation and management in the long term. Orientation training of staff in nuclear science and technology, including training in a research reactor, development of a technical core group and national participation in siting and construction of the NPP, is recommended for the initial phase. For the longer term, enhancement of expertise in areas such as reactor core management, in-service inspection and management of radioactive waste and spent fuel have been suggested. The importance of developing technical support organizations, developing national safety standards and participation in international cooperative activities is also touched upon.

Key words: technical capabilities for establishing first nuclear power plant (NPP) in a country; national participation in siting and construction of NPP; preparing for start of NPP operation; long-term operation and management of NPP.

7.1 Introduction

A nuclear power plant (NPP) is a complex machine which requires person­nel with expertise in a number of technical areas for its siting, construction, commissioning, operation and management in the longer term. Also, estab­lishing a NPP entails national commitment to safety for a very long period. That would include the NPP operating lifetime, its safe keeping after ces­sation of operation and the time required to carry out its decommissioning. This period could extend to 100 years or even more. It would be neither possible nor practicable to depend entirely on technical support from the reactor vendor or other agencies outside the country for such a long period. For this reason, it is not only desirable but absolutely essential that requisite national technical capabilities be initially developed for establishing the first NPP in the country and these be progressively augmented towards managing the nuclear power programme and its likely future expansion.

Establishing the foundation for technical development and using a research reactor as stepping stone are discussed in Section 7.2. Section 7.3

describes the need for obtaining a good understanding of the NPP design in the operating organization, the regulatory body and the technical support organizations. Sections 7.4 and 7.5 present the advantages of national par­ticipation in siting and in design, equipment manufacture and construction of the NPP respectively. Technical capabilities required for commissioning the NPP and for its safe and efficient operation are described in Sections 7.6 and 7.7 respectively. Areas in which building of national technical com­petence for long-term operation of the NPP and for future expansion of nuclear power programme in the country is necessary are detailed in Section 7.8. Decommissioning aspects are covered in Section 7.9 and some sources of further information on the topics of the chapter are listed in Section 7.10.