Research Activities in the European Union on Ageing Management for the Long Term Operation of Nuclear Power Plants

The energy supply of the next future in the EU will be a mix of renewable, fossil and nuclear. There are 145 nuclear power reactors in operation in 17 out of the 27 EU countries, with installed power ~132 GWe. The age distribution of current nuclear power plants in EU is such that in 2010 most of them will have passed 20-years and approximately 25% of them 30 years of age. The decrease of energy supply from nuclear electricity is not always to be compensated in a reliable and economical way and within a short time span. Under this situation utilities may be keen to upgrade the reactor output or/and to ask their regulatory bodies for longer term operation. Under the research projects financed in the Euratom part of the RTD Direction in the European Commission several explicitly address the safe long term operation of nuclear power plants (NULIFE, LONGLIFE) and the topics proposed in the 2010 call explicitly address issues concerning component ageing and more specifically Instrumentation & Control as well as concrete ageing. This paper presents an overview of the plans for long term operation at nuclear power plants in the EU. Especial emphasis in research activities on component ageing management and long term operation issues related to safety is given.

MARTIN Oliver;  BALLESTEROS AVILA Antonio;  BRUYNOOGHE Christiane;  BIETH Michel; 

2010-12-02

American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)

JRC56128

http://www.asmeconferences.org/pvp2010/,    https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC56128,