The CNSC has not issued explicit regulatory requirements on ageing management. However, a number of age-related regulatory requirements are included in several regulatory publications, including:

• Class I Nuclear Facilities Regulations (requiring licensees to describe “the proposed measures, policies, methods and procedures for operating and maintaining the nuclear facility”);

• Requirements for Containment Systems for CANDU Nuclear Power Plants (R-7);

• Requirements for Shutdown Systems for CANDU Nuclear Power Plants (R-8);

• Requirements for Emergency Core Cooling Systems for CANDU Nuclear Power Plants (requiring that safety systems are available to operate when called upon, R-9);

• Reliability Programmes for Nuclear Power Plants (requiring development of system availability limits and minimum functional requirements, and description of the inspection, monitoring, and testing activities designed to ensure system availability, Regulatory standard S-98); and

• Other specific conditions of an NPP operating license.

In order to address ageing, Canadian CANDU NPP utilities are required to inspect and perform material surveillance according to the technical requirements of CSA standards:

• Periodic inspection of CANDU nuclear power plant components (N285.4),

• Periodic inspection of CANDU nuclear power plant containment components, (N285.5),

• In-service examination and testing requirements for concrete containment structures for CANDU nuclear power plants (N287.7), and

• Technical requirements for in-service evaluation of zirconium alloy pressure tubes in CANDU nuclear power plants (N285.8).

These requirements include inspection techniques, procedures, frequency of inspection, and evaluation of inspection results, disposition, and repair. Maintenance programmes are required for the purpose of limiting the risks related to the failure or unavailability of any significant SSC (See Table 3).

In addition to the above, CNSC adopted industry fitness-for-service guidelines as regulatory means to address ageing management of the special components such as SG tubes and feeders.