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inside WANOVolume 18 Number 3 2010

T H E M A G A Z I N E O F T H E W O R L D A S S O C I AT I O N O F N U C L E A R O P E R AT O R S

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NextEra EnergyA passion for excellence

SmolenskPutting safety first

inside

Inside WANO is publishedby the World Associationof Nuclear Operators forall its members

contents

Optimising air-operated valves OE page 14

Ensuring safe startup Feature 12

Safety first at Smolensk Peer reviews 10

Rising to the challenge Plant profile 8

Strengthening WANO In focus 6

A passion for excellence Human performance 4

Steering a safe course Editorial 3

Take another look...Check out the new WANO public web site at www.wano.info

2 I N S I D E W A N O : V 1 8 – N O 3 – 2 0 1 0

EDITORTracy Grant-WilsonWANO LondonEmail: [email protected]

EDITORIAL BOARDGeorge FelgateManaging DirectorDave FarrDirector ACMikhail ChudakovDirector MCIgnacio AraluceDirector PCHarunobu ShirayanagiDirector TC

WANO OFFICESWANO London Cavendish Court11–15 Wigmore Street, London W1U 1PFUnited KingdomTel: +44 (0)20 7478 9200Fax: +44 (0)20 7495 4502

Atlanta Centre 700 Galleria Parkway SESuite 100Atlanta, GA 30339-5943USATel: +1 770 644 8602Fax: +1 770 644 8505

Moscow Centre Ferganskaya 25Moscow 109507RussiaTel: +7 495 376 1587Fax: +7 495 376 0897

Paris Centre 8 rue Blaise Pascal92200 Neuilly-sur-Seine FranceTel: +33 1 46 40 35 55Fax: +33 1 46 40 35 53

Tokyo Centre 2-11-1 Iwado-kitaKomae-shiTokyo 201-8511JapanTel: +81 (0)3 3480 4809Fax: +81 (0)3 3480 5379

COVERSmolensk NPP, Russia

Copyright © 2010 World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO). All rights reserved. Not for sale or for commercial use.

I N S I D E W A N O : V 1 8 – N O 3 – 2 0 1 0 3

P erhaps it’s fitting that my second term as WANO Chairman began aboard aretired icebreaker in the Russian port

of Murmansk, the setting for the GoverningBoard meeting in late July.

Like the nuclear-powered NS Lenin, whichspent 30 years breaking ice so other vesselscould travel safely, the job of the WANO BoardI chair is to clear the way for WANO membersto safely operate the world’s reactors.

It is a job I have enjoyed greatly since 2009,when I was first elected Chairman, and one I look forward to continuing for the next twoyears. I thank you for your trust and ongoingsupport.

Looking over my first term, I am proud of ourcollective progress. Faced with rapid expansionin the nuclear industry, we created a stronger,more responsive WANO to better serve ourmembers.

With unanimous support, we openedWANO’s doors to any owner or operator of anuclear power or fuel reprocessing plant andwatched our membership grow from 35 toabout 100. Through small-group CEO meetingsin various parts of the world, we directlyengaged the executives who set the tone fortheir organisations. While we have much tocelebrate, our work is far from done.

With nearly 60 reactors under constructionaround the world, WANO must ensure eachone starts up safely. At the same time, we mustgive our members the products and servicesthey need to keep the existing fleet operatingto the same high standards of performance.

Just as important, we must engage the nextgeneration of nuclear professionals who willrun those new plants and replace theexperienced operators when they take well-deserved retirements. After all, our history has shown that people are the real key tocontinued safety.

As Chairman, I promise WANO will continueto adapt to the higher expectations of ourmembers. But to truly succeed, we will needour members to honour their obligations toWANO as well. That means providing high-quality, experienced personnel as peers, expertsand secondees in London and the regionalcentres. It means hosting and supporting peerreviews and technical support missions, as wellas sharing operating experience and expertiseat seminars and workshops. It means workingtogether in the way that makes WANO a trulyunique organisation; one that openly shares itsexperiences and skills for the common good.

Looking ahead, I see an exciting future forWANO and the nuclear industry. I also seepreparations underway for our 11th BiennialGeneral Meeting, which will be hosted byWANO President HE Yu in Shenzhen, China in October of 2011. As one of the highlightevents on the WANO calendar, I look forwardto meeting you in China and reflecting on thecontinued progress we will surely makebetween now and then.

‘Looking over myfirst term, I am

proud of ourcollective progress.

Faced with rapidexpansion in the

nuclear industry, wecreated a stronger,

more responsiveWANO to better

serve our members.’Laurent Stricker

WANO Chairman

editorial Laurent Stricker reflects on progress made during his first term as WANOChairman and theimportance of membersupport to keep themomentum going.

Steering a safe

course

4 I N S I D E W A N O : V 1 8 – N O 3 – 2 0 1 0

human performance

F or Mano Nazar, the Chief Nuclear Officerof NextEra Energy, there is no secret tocreating a culture that fosters a drive for

excellence across the third-largest nuclear fleetin the United States. In Nazar’s view, the fleet’srecent performance improvements come fromthe use of a values-based model that is beingapplied, not just by leadership, but at all levelsof the organisation.

Nazar joined NextEra Energy, Inc., formerlycalled FPL Group, in November 2007. AsNextEra’s Chief Nuclear Officer, he oversees thedaily operation of NextEra Energy Resources’eight nuclear units which include the DuaneArnold Energy Centre in Iowa, the Point BeachNuclear Power Plant in Wisconsin, SeabrookStation in New Hampshire and the St. Lucieand Turkey Point plants in Florida.

Sustaining performanceNazar says for an excellence plan to be trulyeffective and lead to lasting change it first hasto emphasise the right values and principles.

‘Once the values are internalised and arebeing actively used by individual employees it is much easier to sustain performance in thelong-term. Rather than ‘flavour of the month’-type initiatives, since day one our focus hasbeen to build a culture of excellence that isself-perpetuating. If individual work habits getbetter and faster, you can do the core businessbetter. Then you don’t see peaks and valleys,but rather sustained performance over thelong-term. That is our vision.’

‘A phased approach to achieving excellenceis the key to getting the right results,’ saidNazar. ‘At NextEra, first, we drew a picture ofwhat excellence would look like and focusedon the fundamentals. Our second phasefocused on ‘blocking and tackling’ using thesefundamentals; this is where we started to buildperformance. Our third phase is what I call‘breakthrough’ where individual employees,regardless of their position or title driveimprovements. Once this happens, you’ve

created the foundation for a culture that is focused on sustaining excellence.’

Larry Meyer, Site Vice President of NextEra’sPoint Beach plant, said he has seen evidence of Nazar’s focus on excellence in the changingbehaviours and improved performance at his site.

Meyer, who joined the Point Beach team inJune 2008 after serving as General Manager of Nuclear Training for the Tennessee ValleyAuthority, said: ‘Understanding that values are everlasting drives sustainable performance. We quickly embraced the excellence model andbegan living the values – not just talking aboutthem. That’s when we began to see the culturechange and performance improve at PointBeach.’

A passion for

‘There are differentways to influence

others – relationships,mentoring, teaching

and modelling. Ineach of these, having

personal passion isabsolutely critical. Ifyou believe in what

you’re saying anddoing, others

will too.’Mano Nazar

Chief Nuclear OfficerNextEra Energy

excellenceMano Nazar on site at Seabrook Station

St. Lucie NPP, Florida

I N S I D E W A N O : V 1 8 – N O 3 – 2 0 1 0 5

‘One example is our corrective actionprogramme,’ said Meyer. ‘When we started the excellence journey at Point Beach, ourcorrective action programme was weak, as evidenced by many corrective actioncommitments going overdue. It would havebeen easy to simply impose a behaviourchange through strong accountabilitymeasures, but this approach would not havebeen sustainable. Instead, following Mano’ssystem, we focused on values and beliefs, andultimately changed people’s hearts and mindsabout the corrective action programme. Wewent from having several overdue items everyday to not having any at all in 2010.’

Prevention and detectionA key value of NextEra‘s Nuclear ExcellenceModel is a fleet focus on Preventing andDetecting issues to avoid Correcting problems.Inside the fleet, this is commonly known as theP-D-C. Simply, the goal for the fleet is to spend80 per cent of time preventing or detectingissues, and less than 20 per cent correctingproblems.

‘When you establish a low threshold thatflags issues as soon as you see smoke, youspend a lot less time and energy addressinghigh-level fires. With a solid detection system,you see the smoke early and have the chanceto correct issues quickly. It is a simple philosophy,

but it is central to improving performance and getting people thinking about proactivelyidentifying and addressing issues before theybite us at a critical time.’

‘To be successful, the vision for excellencemust also be simple,’ said Nazar. ‘If it isperceived as common sense and somethingthat adds value, then it will be respected.People at all levels need to know that the goalsare attainable, but more importantly, thatachieving these goals will make a difference in the quality of their lives by reducing thenumber of call-outs and emotional events. But it takes time to build this understandingand credibility, and that’s why having distinctphases are important. At each step you need to show people results.’

Effective communication plays a key role inthe success of the effort. ‘You cannot just putposters on the wall or send out newslettersand expect monumental change. If you wantto do this right, leaders at all levels need tocommunicate the successes almost every day,in personal contacts, written communicationsand during teaching moments. This is notabout patting yourself on the back, butshowing value, honing the message, andkeeping the team’s focus on achievingexcellence,’ said Nazar.

Most importantly, personal passion isabsolutely critical. ‘There are different ways to influence others – relationships, mentoring,teaching and modelling. In each of these,having personal passion is absolutely critical. If you believe in what you’re saying and doing,others will too. When you can talk withpassion, it excites other people and they realisethat they can be part of something powerfuland important. Having a team motivated aboutimprovements makes executing the plan thatmuch easier.’

NextEra’s NuclearExcellence Model is driving positiveimprovements and apassion for excellenceacross the fleet.

Duane Arnold Energy Centre, Iowa

Point Beach NPP, Wisconsin

6 I N S I D E W A N O : V 1 8 – N O 3 – 2 0 1 0

in focus

O ver the past year, four newProgramme Director positions havebeen introduced to the London office

to better serve our members and regionalcentres. These new roles were created to help our Regional Centre Directors closeperformance gaps, provide oversight forassigned programmes and help standardisetheir implementation across the centres. We have also assembled a dedicated team of experienced individuals, led from London by Jean-Marie Baggio, to take the best

practices from pre-startup peer reviews in everyregion and develop a unified process that canbe used throughout WANO.

With these additional resources, the Londonoffice is better placed to lead initiatives thatsupport WANO’s long-term plan and liaisemore closely with important industryorganisations.

Let me introduce the Programme Directors in the London office and briefly describe theirroles and responsibilities:

J ean-Louis joined WANO London inSeptember of 2010 from Electricité deFrance (EDF), where he was Senior Vice

President and Head of the Nuclear OperationsBranch within the Nuclear Generation Division.

Jean-Louis leads the Operating ExperienceCentral Team, which is based in London, and is WANO’s official interface with the IAEA and the International Nuclear Safety Group. In addition to being the Paris Centre liaison in London, Jean-Louis is the project lead for the London office team supporting the 2011Biennial General Meeting.

Before joining the London office, Jean-Louisheld various roles with EDF, including StationDirector of the Blayais NPP, Deputy Director of the Saint Laurent des Eaux NPP, and SeniorProduction Manager at Chooz B NPP. He alsoworked as Head of the Risk Prevention Groupin EDF’s Safety Radiation Protection andEnvironmental Department. Jean-Louis bringssignificant international experience to theLondon office, including exchanges withKoeberg NPP in South Africa. He has alsoparticipated in a number of WANO technicalsupport missions to European plants.

B ob joined WANO in November of 2009from the Institute of Nuclear PowerOperations (INPO) and is the Atlanta

Centre liaison in London. As WANO’s CompanySecretary, Bob organises WANO GoverningBoard meetings, leads information technologyinitiatives and supervises office support staff in London.

After obtaining his graduate degree innuclear engineering, Bob spent several years in startup testing and reactor engineeringpositions at the Browns Ferry NPP, andconsulting on the Grand Gulf Nuclear Stationstartup. Bob joined INPO in 1983 and served

in a number of roles, including Evaluator,Accreditation Team Manager, and EvaluationTeam Manager. He also spent five yearsworking in an Advanced Reactor Projectdeveloping standard operating programmesand processes. Bob has completed threeprevious loaned assignments, includingmaintenance management at North AnnaPower Station, Corporate Training Director for the Nuclear Management Company, and leading a training performanceimprovement project for British Energy.

Strengthening

WANO

Jean-Louis Charriere

Bob Cockrell

I N S I D E W A N O : V 1 8 – N O 3 – 2 0 1 0 7

L ubomir joined WANO London in Augustof 2010 from Slovenske elektrarne, wherehe was Plant Director of the Mochovce NPP.

From London, Lubomir leads WANO’s TechnicalSupport and Exchange Programme, as well asthe Professional and Technical DevelopmentProgramme. In addition to being the MoscowCentre’s liaison in London, Lubomir supervisesWANO’s communication efforts, including thedevelopment of an association-widecommunications strategy.

Lubomir is responsible for WANO’s VendorInitiative, which is designed to make operatingexperience available to large reactor vendors,designers and construction companies involvedwith the global nuclear resurgence. Lubomiralso represents WANO on the Cordel WorkingGroup, which is studying the international

harmonisation of nuclear safety standards for reactor design and licensing.

After obtaining his master’s degree innuclear power engineering, Lubomir spent fiveyears with the commissioning group of SkodaPrague during the construction of BohuniceUnits 3 and 4, and Mochovce Units 1 and 2. He has held a variety of positions at Mochovce NPP, including Reactor Operator,Unit Supervisor, Head of the Simulator Training Department, Deputy Plant Director forTechnical Support and Safety, and finally PlantDirector. Lubomir has participated in three IAEAOSART missions and a WANO peer review.

T akashi joined the London office inOctober following five years as Directorof the WANO Tokyo Centre. From

London, Takashi leads WANO’s Peer ReviewProgramme, including the implementation anddevelopment of the pre-startup/new entrantinitiative. Drawing on his wealth of experiencewith WANO, Takashi is responsible fororganising the Plant Manager/Site VicePresident Workshop and CEO Conference andwill be London’s liaison with the Tokyo Centre.

Takashi first joined the Tokyo Centre as aDeputy Director in January 2005, when he wasseconded from Chubu Electric Power Company(Chubu EPC). Before joining WANO, he was anengineer and manager in Chubu EPC and wasinvolved in the plant startup and testing ofHamaoka Units 2 and 5, plant engineering ofHamaoka Units 3 and 4, plant maintenance of Hamaoka Units 1 – 4, as well as plant lifemanagement.

Managing DirectorGeorge Felgate,introduces the newlyappointed team ofProgramme Directors,and explains whyWANO is now betterequipped for the jobahead.

Lubomir Krenicky

Takashi Shoji

8 I N S I D E W A N O : V 1 8 – N O 3 – 2 0 1 0

plant profile

Having overcome security concerns,Pakistan’s newest nuclear power plantreceived a WANO pre-startup peer

review this summer following a special reviewof the country’s longest-running station earlier this year.

For the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission(PAEC), hosting their international peers during a special January review of the KarachiNuclear Power Plant (KANUPP) was a welcomebreakthrough after several earlier visits werepostponed.

It also cleared the way for WANO to conduct a pre-startup peer review in July at theChashma Nuclear Power Plant 2 (CHASNUPP-2),a 325 MWe reactor currently under constructionand expected to begin operations in 2011.

‘The special review by WANO Tokyo Centremeant a lot to PAEC as it demonstrated thatwith the appropriate security arrangements inplace missions in Pakistan can be conducted,’said Zia ul Hasan Siddiqui, Member (Power) of PAEC, and past General Manager of Chashma NPP.

According to Siddiqui, PAEC intends to buildseveral more nuclear plants in order to meet the target of 8,800 MWe of installed nuclearcapacity by 2030, as envisaged in thegovernment’s Energy Security Action Plan.

A history of nuclear energyThis expansion is just the latest chapter inPakistan’s long history with nuclear energy.KANUPP, a single CANDU PHWR unit with a total gross capacity of 137 MWe, was thenation’s first nuclear plant. It started commercialoperation in 1972 and has generated about 13 billion KWh of electricity to date. KANUPP is the only CANDU plant of its vintage still incommercial operation.

Since its inception, KANUPP has overcomemany challenges. In 1976, Canada imposed aunilateral embargo on support to KANUPP withrespect to spare parts, nuclear fuel, heavy waterand technical assistance. While Canada began

offering some technical expertise through theCANDU Owners Group in 1993, PAEC wasforced to build a self-reliance programme. In1980, PAEC successfully produced nuclear fuelfor KANUPP as part of an all-out effort to createthe technical infrastructure, industrial resources,personnel and expertise necessary to supportstation operations.

Initially, KANUPP had to operate at lowerloads because it was a relatively large fractionof the total capacity of the Karachi grid. But theload factor remained low due to equipmentdifficulties resulting from lack of vendorsupport. As a result, KANUPP had completedonly 11 effective full power years when itcompleted its nominal design life of 30 years in 2002.

Due to the good health of critical componentsPAEC decided to extend the unit’s life. Variousprojects had already been initiated in the late1980s and early 1990s to combat ageing andobsolescence and enhance safety of the plant in line with current international standards.Based on this, KANUPP successfully extended its operating licence in 2004 and plans tocontinue operating for another 15 years.

Nearly two decades after KANUPP cameonline, construction began on PAEC’s secondunit, the 325 MWe Chashma Nuclear PowerPlant (CHASNUPP-1). Built by the ChinaNational Nuclear Corporation (CNNC), work on the pressurised water reactor began in 1992and the plant was connected to the grid in June2000. CHASNUPP-2 was started with the helpof CNNC in 2005. Construction activities areproceeding according to schedule and the plant will be made operational by 2011.

Throughout its history, PAEC haswholeheartedly supported the WANO mission and participated actively in its manyprogrammes. ‘We were among the first to joinWANO and are members of both the Tokyo andAtlanta Centres,’ Siddiqui said. ‘Cooperationwith WANO has helped us significantly inoperating our nuclear power plants safely.’

Rising to the

‘We were amongthe first to joinWANO and are

members of boththe Tokyo and

Atlanta Centres.Cooperation with

WANO has helpedus significantly in

operating ournuclear powerplants safely.’

Zia ul Hasan SiddiquiMember (Power) of PAEC, and

past General Manager ofChashma NPP

challenge

I N S I D E W A N O : V 1 8 – N O 3 – 2 0 1 0 9

In 1994, PAEC offered KANUPP for the firstformal peer review ever conducted by WANOTokyo Centre, as well as a follow-up review in1996. A second peer review was conducted in2000 and a third review, originally scheduled in2007, was postponed several times due tosecurity concerns in the region.

However, thanks to the joint efforts of PAECand WANO, a special review of KANUPP wasperformed in January 2010. Four main areaswere reviewed: Organisation and Administration,Operations, Maintenance, and EngineeringSupport. It also reviewed cross-functional areaslike Equipment Performance and Condition,Human Performance, and Industrial Safety. The team identified some strengths andrecommended improvements in some areas,

which KANUPP is already addressing through a detailed action plan.

Technical support Due to security concerns, perceived byindividual experts and their organisations,WANO postponed technical support missions(TSMs) scheduled in Pakistan in 2008 and 2009.As a result, it developed an alternative plan toconduct three TSMs each in 2008 and 2009 inChina, South Korea and Japan with five PAECpersonnel in each mission. Participation in thesemissions has reaped benefits for KANUPP. Forexample, training in human performance toolsis now mandatory. There have been technicalimprovements as well; the recommendations ofone TSM proved a turning point in combatingcoolant pump seal failure problems at the plant.

‘This alternative methodology is still useful –and KANUPP has greatly benefited from theknowledge gained in these TSMs – but missionsin Pakistan would, of course, allow muchstronger participation and dissemination,’Siddiqui said.

More recently, a TSM was held at KANUPP tohelp them prepare for a planned replacementof steam generator tube bundles. Experts fromWANO Atlanta Centre and CNNC were invitedto share their expertise with PAEC engineers for the successful completion of the project.

While PAEC warmly acknowledges thesupport received from WANO and pledges its commitment to cooperation between its members, Siddiqui said WANO will bechallenged to meet the unique needs ofmembers in nations such as Pakistan.

‘We feel the problems faced by nuclearpower plants in developing countries likePakistan merit the special attention of WANO,’he said. ‘This would help in improving theoperational safety of plants which could belagging behind in some respects compared with other plants in the world.’

Here we learn aboutsome of the uniquechallenges faced bymembers in nationssuch as Pakistan andwhat WANO is doingto support them.

WANO special review of KANUPP, January 2010

TSM with a focus on steam generator tube bundle replacement

Exit meeting, WANO special review of KANUPP, January 2010

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peer reviews

S ince 1982, when the first of its threereactors started up, Smolensk NuclearPower Plant has hosted more technical

support missions (TSMs) than any other WANOMoscow Centre member plant, according toStation Director Andrey Petrov.

‘The plant is one the most active participants in WANO,’ Petrov said. ‘Plant management doesnot turn a blind eye to weaknesses and strives toensure that all plant areas comply with modernever more rigorous requirements.’

As a result, Smolensk has been repeatedlynamed one of the top performing nuclear plantsin Russia in terms of technical and economicperformance, radiation safety and environmentalimpact. A quality management system developedin accordance with ISO 9001:2000 underpins thesafety and reliability of Smolensk. And in 2007,the plant received the certificate of compliancewith International Standard ISO 14001 for itsenvironmental management system.

Ongoing plant component and processupgrading, an effective corporate culture and use of best world practices have helped the plant achieve high levels of safety in all fields of operation, Petrov said.

Since WANO’s creation in 1989, Smolensk NPPhas actively participated in WANO activities.

‘Our workers use all of WANO’s tools toexplore the richness of accumulated experiencefrom around the world, to find ideas and usefulexamples, and expand their professionalknowledge and skills,’ Petrov said. ‘They sharethe latest information on plant safety andreliability improvement and learn from theproblems and good practices of peers.’

Participating in a series of TSMs has helped the plant improve its management structure,engineering support, human performance and training. Smolensk NPP has optimisedmaintenance planning and coordination, honedits error-prevention techniques and made moreefficient use of computer-aided, on-lineoperations monitoring systems.

Peer reviewsDuring its history, Smolensk has hosted four peerreviews which have significantly contributed toplant safety and reliability.

In 2007, peer review team members said theplant complied with international levels of plantoperations. Along with strengths, the teamidentified some areas for improvement. Sincethen, plant management has been activelyaddressing priority issues. Over the last twoyears, a number of projects have been initiatedto enhance plant operations and safety, upgradeplant components, and improve humanperformance.

A more structured approach is now used forself-assessment of operational safety, trainingand instructional technologies. In addition, therehave been improvements in human performancein the main control room, quality of walkdowns,plant component control, and materialsmanagement at maintenance sites. There is also an ongoing effort to enhance engineeringsupport activities which include operatingexperience feedback and corrective actiondevelopment.

Following upDoes the plant meet necessary standards? Howeffective are corrective actions taken by theplant? A follow-up peer review mission in April2010 was intended to answer these questions.

Safety first at

‘Smolensk NPP hasalways recognised theimportance of WANO

programmes. Weinvite international

experts to get aqualified and

comprehensiveassessment of the

safety and reliabilityof plant operations.’

Andrey PetrovStation Director

Smolensk NPP

SmolenskReview of plant data during 2009 TSM

I N S I D E W A N O : V 1 8 – N O 3 – 2 0 1 0 11

Nuclear professionals with an overall nuclearexperience of 190 years devoted 300 hours to review housekeeping, materiel condition,industrial safety, labelling, human performanceobservations and documentation.

Reviewers praised Smolensk NPP’s performanceand noted that actions have been taken, or areongoing, to address all identified weaknesses,which indicates a systematic approach toproblem solving. Progress at the plant has beenimpressive; five areas for improvement receivedA grades, while 13 areas received Bs.

The team identified strengths and goodpractices which will be shared with other plantsworldwide. They include high standards ofmorale during switching operations on plantcomponents. The peer review team members

also made special mention of the ion databaseinformation and analytical programme, and thepsychological fitness of operations personnel torespond professionally in the event of fires onlive equipment.

‘Reviewers received evidence that plantpersonnel have worked continuously to addressall areas for improvement,’ said AlexanderDvoretsky, the peer review team leader. ‘Wecan say with satisfaction that the plant is in avery good condition, human performance isaligned and professional, with personnelfocused on improving performance. Excellentconditions created for the peer review teamand an open dialogue with plant personnelhelped the team meet all their goals.’

Continuous improvementPlant personnel have embarked on a journey ofcontinuous safety culture improvement, Petrovsaid. Plant management is confident that everyworker gives priority to rigorous procedure and rule adherence and self-checking.

Safety culture improvements have beenimplemented throughout the plant and in everyshift. A systematic and structured safety cultureassessment and improvement process, togetherwith a computer-aided minor event reportingsystem allow personnel to be directly involvedin operational safety enhancement in dailyplant routines.

With its unwavering commitment toperformance improvement, Smolensk is set to continue its strong partnership with WANO.

‘Smolensk NPP has always recognised theimportance of WANO programmes. We inviteinternational experts to get a qualified andcomprehensive assessment of the safety andreliability of plant operations,’ Petrov said. ‘We are glad to demonstrate our willingness to exchange experience for the sake of safetyand reliability of plant processes.’

With a history ofcontinuous improvement,Smolensk is proof thatthe best performingplants in the world arethose most involved inWANO activities.

Team members discuss work processes, follow-up peer review,April 2010

TSM team in turbine hall, February 2010

Human performance observation, follow-up peer review, April 2010

12 I N S I D E W A N O : V 1 8 – N O 3 – 2 0 1 0

feature

W ith nearly 60 nuclear units underconstruction worldwide, WANOand the IAEA are working closely

together to ensure every new plant starts up safely.

It is their shared expectation that every new unit will receive a thorough, independentreview by either WANO or the IAEA of itsequipment and operations several monthsbefore any fuel is loaded.

Given the sheer volume of construction,fulfilling this expectation will be a challenge.However, WANO and the IAEA will meet atleast twice each year to update the status oftheir reviews, discuss common issues and sharebest practices in the way each organisationconducts pre-startup reviews. They have also agreed to share resources as a means of benchmarking when appropriate.

‘In the end, whether the review is conductedby WANO or by the IAEA, the goal is thesame – the safe and reliable startup of eachand every new nuclear plant,’ said GeorgeFelgate, WANO Managing Director.

IAEA support activitiesThe IAEA pre-operational review applies thesame principles as its established OperationalSafety Review Team (OSART) programme. Using the IAEA Safety Standards as a basis, this ground-breaking initiative was the firstworldwide peer review programme for nuclear power plants.

During an OSART mission, an internationalteam performs an in-depth review ofoperational safety performance at a nuclearpower plant, including factors affecting themanagement of safety and the performance ofpersonnel. Initiated at the request of the plant,an OSART mission recommends areas whereimprovements should be made that have adirect relevance to safety. Commendable goodpractices identified at plants are then sharedwith the rest of the nuclear industry.

In general the OSART programme is focused

on the operational phase, therefore it is notdirectly applicable to newcomer countries.However key decision makers for nuclearprogrammes in these countries can be invitedto observe OSART missions in order to get aninsight into the complex nature of operationalsafety at nuclear power plants.

A pre-operational OSART is designed to beundertaken before the startup of new nuclearunits and provides the greatest value if it isperformed between three to six months beforefuel is loaded. It focuses on commissioning andallows an assessment of how well the plant isprepared for initial fuel loading, reactor startupand subsequent plant operations.

‘With more than 20 missions completed, the IAEA already has a good record ofperforming pre-operational OSART missions inthe commissioning phase,’ said Miroslav Lipar,Head of the IAEA Operational Safety Section.Furthermore, in response to the expected highnumber of new plants to be constructed innewcomer countries, the Agency is consideringa new initiative: to develop the capability toreview the safety of nuclear plant construction.

‘Embarking on a nuclear power programmeand establishing a national safety infrastructureis a complex process,’ explained Lipar. ‘A keyrole played by the IAEA is to offer assistance to Member States in the development of aneffective regulatory infrastructure.’ In addition,

Ensuring safe

‘In the end,whether the review

is conducted byWANO or by theIAEA, the goal is

the same – the safeand reliable startup

of each and everynew nuclear plant.’

George FelgateWANO Managing Director

startupWANO pre-startup peer reviews were performed in 2008 at TomariNPP, Japan (above) and Kaiga Generating Station, India (below)

I N S I D E W A N O : V 1 8 – N O 3 – 2 0 1 0 13

the IAEA offers a wide spectrum of activities tosupport education, training, human resourcedevelopment and capacity building.

WANO’s pre-startupprogrammeFor WANO, the ultimate objective is to supportmember companies from the start of theirpreparations all along the timeline towardcommercial operation.

To deal with this challenge, WANO isassembling a team of experienced professionalsto focus exclusively on new entrants and pre-startup peer reviews, and support WANO’sfour regional centres. While this dedicated teamis new, Felgate said WANO is not new to thebusiness of pre-startup reviews. ‘We have doneabout 15 in the last few years, but each regionhas approached the reviews differently,’ he said.‘This team will capture the best practices fromeach region and put together a best-of-the-best

process that can be adopted worldwide.’Since the preparation for operation is an

enormous project scheduled over several years,WANO offers support at different phases of theproject. The process involves a plan developedjointly by WANO and the utility for technicalsupport missions and peer reviews asconstruction progresses.

To give the utility a snapshot of preparationactivities when they are at their peak, WANOoffers an operation preparation review typicallytwo years before fuel is loaded and severalmonths before the first electrical systems areenergised. This involves field observations ofthe company’s approach to training, whichprovides a first impression of the emergingsafety culture among the staff.

The final opportunity for support is the pre-startup peer review itself. Since a typicalpre-startup peer review is scheduled betweenthree and eight months before fuel loading, a host of activities are observed fromcommissioning and startup testing, to decisionmaking and human performance. In addition,the pre-startup peer review assesses the lastphase of the operation preparation. Specialfocus is paid to the emergency arrangements,radiological protection and the preparations for the arrival of fuel on site.

For WANO, providing this level of detail ispart of the obligation it feels for its membersand the world as a whole. After all, Felgatesaid, history shows that initial startup and thefirst months of operation are a challengingtime in a plant’s history.

‘The conclusion we must draw is that lack of experience was a factor in some of ourindustry’s worst nuclear events,’ said Felgate,who acknowledges the global nuclearresurgence is an exciting time for our industry.‘But with this excitement comes a tremendousobligation to keep nuclear safety the overridingpriority for the 436 units that are operating inthe world today, and the overriding priority foreach and every new unit that starts up.’

With theircomplementaryprogrammes, the IAEAand WANO areworking closelytogether to supportthe safe expansion ofnuclear power aroundthe world.

A pre-operational OSART mission was performed in 2009 at Ling Ao NPP (Phase II), China

Flamanville 3 under construction in France

14 I N S I D E W A N O : V 1 8 – N O 3 – 2 0 1 0

OE page

Multidiscipline teams at LimerickGenerating Station and South TexasProject Electric Generating Station

have used an effective combination ofapproaches to support and improve air-operated valve (AOV) performance.

By sharpening their AOV focus, seeking craftinput, putting added emphasis on testing andtrending, and stepping up efforts before,during and after outages, the plants havevirtually eliminated mid-cycle interruptions and operating transients, while producing high levels of equipment reliability and strong generation records.

Sharpening the focus In 2003, problems with feedwater regulatingvalves – one of the AOV types most susceptibleto performance issues – put the AOVprogramme on centre stage at South TexasProject. An upgrade to a new, high-flow digitalpositioner resulted in control valve oscillationsthat required a reduction in power to allow forinstallation of the original design positioners.

‘Our programme lacked the necessary rigourto evaluate diagnostic traces,’ explained GaryChilders, Equipment Reliability Supervisor atSouth Texas Project who was assigned to AOVs at the time. ‘We implemented severalrecommendations that year and startedbuilding cross-discipline ownership in our AOV team.’

In 2005, craft input was instrumental when South Texas Project made multiplesubcomponent improvements to support AOV performance. Upgrades included theinstallation of chrome-plated stems and Teflon packing, which has significantly reduced stem wear.

A further opportunity to improve AOVperformance came in the form of an adversetrend condition report in 2006. A team ofemployees from component engineering andcraft – instead of doing a common causeanalysis – bubble-charted corrective and

elective maintenance work orders on criticalAOVs for the previous two-year period. Bubble-charting categorises station equipment failuresaccording to applicable INPO performanceobjectives to help determine common causes.Their effort helped produce a 60 per centreduction in corrective maintenance andelective maintenance work orders.

‘Most AOV work is done by contractorsduring an outage, and we found that theywere still following vendor manuals to docritical work,’ Childers said. ‘We also foundthat work instructions in the preventivemaintenance work order didn’t match thescope, and frequencies were not consistentwith internal operating experience.’

Optimising air-operated

‘In the past, we had a lot of

follow-up actions,but now we know

all issues areresolved. We give

our plant manageran 18-month

warranty on valveoperation afterevery outage.’

Gary ChildersEquipment Reliability Supervisor

South Texas Project

valvesLimerick valve technicians perform maintenance on an air-operated valve

South Texas Project Electric Generating Station

I N S I D E W A N O : V 1 8 – N O 3 – 2 0 1 0 15

Benefits of craft inputSouth Texas Project started keeping a tighter rein on AOV work during refuelling outages.Contractors are now paired with employeeswhen they work on feedwater regulating valves.Dedicated in-house craftsmen with specificcomponent experience perform outage work,and dedicated AOV component engineersperform peer checks and help resolve issues.

In addition, with extensive input from craft,the AOV team developed four detailed,customised procedures that cover allmaintenance work on AOVs, including overhauls and calibrations.

As well as focusing on high-risk and safety-related valves, the Limerick AOV programmealso focuses on balance-of-plant valves that may not have an impact on safety but areeconomically significant. Going beyond the AOV Users’ Group recommendations, the plantrequires thrust calculations and diagnostictesting for all valves in the AOV programme.

Testing and trendingA battery of diagnostic tests at Limerick hashelped eliminate AOV problems duringoperating cycles that would have otherwisegone undetected.

‘That’s where our maintenance departmentshines,’ said Brian Tracy, Limerick’s AOVProgramme Engineer. ‘They’re very particularand take pride in what they do. They won’twalk away from a valve unless it’s right.’

Tests verify that valve actuators andpositioners are properly calibrated, springs arepre-loaded, and valves have the correct packingloads to support their design functions. ‘A valvehas to operate under design basis conditions,’Tracy explained. ‘Our goal is to verify that a valvewill perform its intended function.’

At South Texas Project, engineering developeda tool to measure and trend effectiveness basedon as-found preventive maintenance andcorrective maintenance condition codes. Lowscores prompt in-depth reviews of work scope,frequency and related factors that could causedegraded valve performance.

An assessment is performed 30 days after an outage to identify issues with preventivemaintenance, work practices and correctiveactions. Bubble charting is then used to identifyperformance gaps.

‘We want our unique trending programmeand component engineering ownership to betop-notch,’ Childers explained. ‘Any anomaly we find, we generate corrective actions.’

Stepping up outage effortsAt Limerick, a multidiscipline AOV team startsmeeting months in advance of refuelling outagesto focus on readiness and availability of supportactivities for AOV projects.

Team members represent work management,maintenance, planning, operations, systems andprogrammes engineering – all of the groups theAOV programme team relies on for support. The team has stayed together for multiple years,learning from previous outage experiences andensuring follow-through on AOV-related workduring outages.

During start-up power ascension, SouthTexas Project performs post-maintenancetesting on feedwater regulating valves at 77 per cent power by introducing a smalltransient. Engineers analyse data todetermine how well valves respond, and if necessary, they make adjustments to the control loop or positioners to matchacceptance criteria.

After outages, engineering conducts a formalcloseout review with the management team todiscuss the scope of feedwater regulating valveinspections, actions taken, lessons learned, andas-left valve trace results.

‘This meeting is another layer that gives us a higher level of confidence that our AOVprogramme is in good shape,’ Childers said. ‘In the past, we had a lot of follow-up actions,but now we know all issues are resolved. Wegive our plant manager an 18-month warrantyon valve operation after every outage.’

Based on an article which originally appeared in The Nuclear Professional, by kind permission.

At US generatingstations, Limerick andSouth Texas Project,multidiscipline teamswork to eliminate mid-cycle interruptions andoperating transients.

Recognisingexcellence

D uring each Biennial General Meeting (BGM),WANO Nuclear Excellence Awards arepresented to individuals to acknowledge

their contribution to the nuclear industry or to thesuccessful operation of nuclear power plants operated by WANO members.

An independent selection committee, withrepresentatives from all the regional centres, meets toselect the award recipients based on a list of peoplewho have been nominated. Now is the time to makethose nominations.

Any individual whose work contributes to orsupports the successful operation of nuclear powerplants operated by any WANO member is eligible forthe award. This could include contributions to any

part of the infrastructure that supports the nuclearpower enterprise. It could also include contributionsmade through WANO. The intent is that individuals at any level in an organisation be considered for the award.

The deadline for nominations is 2 May 2011. Full details of the procedure are available on the WANO members’ web site or by contactingBob Cockrell at the WANO London office([email protected]). The awards will bepresented at the 11th WANO BGM to be held 23-25 October 2011 in Shenzhen, China.

Nuclear excellence award 2011