EPR – Time for for lessons learned 1 st NNR REGULATORY INFORMATION CONFERENCE Pretoria – 05 -07 October 2016 DR. Yves GUENON Matthieu MAURIN
EPR – Time for for
lessons learned
1st NNR REGULATORY INFORMATION CONFERENCE
Pretoria – 05 -07 October 2016
DR. Yves GUENON
Matthieu MAURIN
1ST NNR REGULATORY INFORMATION CONFERENCE 05 - 07 October 2016 – Proprietary information AREVA - 2
Agenda
EPR Design safety principle
EPR Commissioning status Lessons Learned
1st NNR REGULATORY INFORMATION CONFERENCE 05-07 October 2016 – Proprietary information AREVA 3
General arrangement of the buildings (typical)
Turbine building
Fuel
building
Reactor
building
Diesel
Generator
building
safeguards
buildings
Diesel Generator
building
Pumping
Station
Waste building
Nuclear
auxiliary
building
1st NNR REGULATORY INFORMATION CONFERENCE 05-07 October 2016 – Proprietary information AREVA 4
EPR reactor main characteristics
Power:
Core thermal power : 4590 MWth
Generated electrical power : About 1650 MWe
High efficiency : up to 37 %
Target Design Availability : > 91 % (EUR methodology)
Short outages
Prevention of Reactor trips
Radiation Protection
Low collective dose : < 0.5 man.Sievert/yr
Fuel cycle length: up to 24 months
Design service life: 60 years
Reduced operating costs
1st NNR REGULATORY INFORMATION CONFERENCE 05-07 October 2016 – Proprietary information AREVA 5
EPR reactor main primary system: proven design components
Integrating decades of experience
Primary System with a 4-loop configuration
Well known design, close
to existing plants
Main components enlarged as compared to those in operation
Increased grace period in case
of transients and accidents
Extensive use of forgings with integrated nozzles
Improved component quality
with less welds
Materials resistant to corrosion and cracking
RPV
2 SGs
PZR
2 SGs
4 MCPs
RPV: Reactor Pressure Vessel, SGs: Steam Generators
MCPs: Main Coolant Pumps, PZR: Pressurizer
1ST NNR REGULATORY INFORMATION CONFERENCE 05 - 07 October 2016 – Proprietary information AREVA - 6
Generation I Generation III Generation II
First
reactor
prototypes
“Commercial”
power
reactors
Advanced
reactors with
improved
safety and
performance
1950 1970 > 2005
60-year evolution of nuclear reactor design
EPR design safety principle
1ST NNR REGULATORY INFORMATION CONFERENCE 05 - 07 October 2016 – Proprietary information AREVA - 7
Topics relevant to EPR robustness
Protection against external hazards
Protection against internal hazards
Severe accidents mitigation
Post Fukushima related issues
1ST NNR REGULATORY INFORMATION CONFERENCE 05 - 07 October 2016 – Proprietary information AREVA - 8
Core meltdown
accidents
(Three Miles
Island)
Dispersal of
radioactive
material (Chernobyl)
Malevolent acts
(9/11)
Limit the risk of a core meltdown
probability of core meltdown divided
by 10 between the Generation II and
the Generation III
Eliminate the risk of any
consequences on surrounding
population and environment
(especially limiting long term
consequences)
Protect against malevolent acts, for
example, ensure that a commercial
airplane crash will not cause a severe
accident
A
B
C
Past events, driving high safety objectives
1ST NNR REGULATORY INFORMATION CONFERENCE 05 - 07 October 2016 – Proprietary information AREVA - 9
Protection against external hazards
Airplane crash protection (reactor building, fuel building and two out of four safeguard buildings) that allows to protect against commercial airplane crash
Protection against external flooding
Geographical separation of redundant safeguard buildings
1ST NNR REGULATORY INFORMATION CONFERENCE 05 - 07 October 2016 – Proprietary information AREVA - 10
Protection against internal hazards
1
2
3 4
Redundant trains are fully separated (4 different buildings)
1ST NNR REGULATORY INFORMATION CONFERENCE 05 - 07 October 2016 – Proprietary information AREVA - 11
Complementary safety systems
Ensuring the highest level of safety
with complementary systems
Diversity of safety systems
Safety systems from different origins (eg, suppliers, characteristics…) to prevent from single failure
Redundancy against single failure
If one safety system fails, another can ensure 100% of the safety functions
1
4
E.g. redundant
safety systems
E.g. 2 different
types of
Emergency
Diesel generator
Complementary
of active and
passive
systems
Multiple layers of protection – redundant, diversified, & complementary
1ST NNR REGULATORY INFORMATION CONFERENCE 05 - 07 October 2016 – Proprietary information AREVA - 12
Severe accidents mitigation
Taken into account in the design on a deterministic basis
Practical elimination of accidents that would lead to large early releases (dedicated primary system depressurization valves, Hydrogen passive recombiners with reactor building free volume, dry reactor pit…)
Low pressure core melt sequences taken into account without any probabilistic cut off frequency : core catcher
1ST NNR REGULATORY INFORMATION CONFERENCE 05 - 07 October 2016 – Proprietary information AREVA - 13
Post Fukushima event analysis
IRWST2 (1800 m3)
EFWS1 tanks
(4x400 m3)
Fire fighting
tank
(2600 m3)
Systems required to mitigate post-Fukushima like event are by design protected from external hazard (flooding, earthquake):
Water proof emergency and station black-out diesel buildings
Water proof safeguard buildings (I&C, electrical switchboards, mechanical components)
Diversified ultimate heat sink safety classified
1ST NNR REGULATORY INFORMATION CONFERENCE 05 - 07 October 2016 – Proprietary information AREVA - 14
Main outcomes of the post-Fukushima stress tests for the EPR
Stress tests performed in Europe following
European directives highlighted the intrinsic
Robustness of the EPR design:
In France, the National Authority ASN reported that “the
enhanced design of [the EPR™ reactor] ensures already
an improved robustness with respect to the severe
accident”
In Finland, STUK (Safety Authority) highlighted in its final
report that “Earthquakes and flooding are included in the
design to ensure safety functions to a high level of
confidence”
1ST NNR REGULATORY INFORMATION CONFERENCE 05 - 07 October 2016 – Proprietary information AREVA - 15
In line with IAEA safety standards, the EPR design was developed in accordance with:
The Technical Guidelines issued by the French Safety Authority (ASN)
The Western European Nuclear Regulator Association (WENRA) for new power reactors
The European Utility Requirements (EUR)
A design reviewed in the framework of international organization
1ST NNR REGULATORY INFORMATION CONFERENCE 05 - 07 October 2016 – Proprietary information AREVA - 16
Benefiting from a worldwide licensing experience
国家核安全局 NNSA
2016 2012 2009 2005 2007
To receive support during licensing process from experienced
Safety Authority, which already performed similar evaluation
1st NNR REGULATORY INFORMATION CONFERENCE 05-07 October 2016 – Proprietary information AREVA 17
EPR Commissioning last and crucial step for full design validation
Starts at the end of the construction phase
To demonstrate that the behavior of the plant
as built is in compliance with the design
assumptions and the license conditions
Covers the full range of plant conditions
required in the design and the safety case with the
tests and initial operation of all the plant’s
components and systems
Encompass all functions of the operation
organization
To demonstrate the adequate functioning of all systems
1ST NNR REGULATORY INFORMATION CONFERENCE 05 - 07 October 2016 – Proprietary information AREVA - 18
EPR Commissioning follows a ramp-up plan Divided in 4 phases
An experienced and proven methodology is key to ensure smooth and successful commissioning
Fuel Loading
1 2 3 4
COMPONENT
S & SYSTEMS
SYSTEM
INTERACTIONS
ALL SYSTEMS
OPERATIONAL ALL SYSTEMS AT
FULL POWER
COLD TESTS HOT TESTS
Responsibility transferred
to operator
Operating
license is issued
Validation of hot tests
& Safety Authority authorization to load fuel
1st NNR REGULATORY INFORMATION CONFERENCE 05-07 October 2016 – Proprietary information AREVA 19
EPR Progress update
© AREVA 1 2 3 4
COMPONENT
S & SYSTEMS
SYSTEM
INTERACTIONS
COLD TESTS HOT TESTS
ALL SYSTEMS
OPERATIONAL ALL SYSTEMS AT
FULL POWER
1st NNR REGULATORY INFORMATION CONFERENCE 05-07 October 2016 – Proprietary information AREVA 20
Lessons Learned
Current EPR projects are implemented in very different environments and conditions (countries / utilities / supply chains / regulators)
This brings a high value to our lessons learned
Some recommendations
Manage all lessons learned with a dedicated process ! (not only technical)
Build on a mature reference design :
EPR design is mature, and now confirmed through commissioning
Reference design allows a smoother licensing process and international cooperation
Adaptation of EPR reference design to tropicalized conditions is validated
Rely on a stable set of regulatory rules (as standardized as possible)
Use a realistic and transparent planning for development phase
Anticipation and Preparation are key:
Public acceptance
Work with customer and partners on other / early contracts for building confidence and solve
potential cultural differences
Early involvement of future owner operator in the project
Support the supply chain development (or revitalization) with a rigorous methodology
Human Capacity Building is needed at all levels
1ST NNR REGULATORY INFORMATION CONFERENCE 05 - 07 October 2016 – Proprietary information AREVA - 21
The value of lessons learned: Reactor building construction
Construction
duration (# months)
126
4
16
139
10
TSN1 OL3
Slab +1,5m
Start of inner
containment
Gusset
pouring
1st concrete
Dome lifting
24
47