CURRENT APPROACH TOWARDS FORMAT AND CONTENT OF SARs IN VIEW OF IAEA SAFETY STANDARDS

1. 1 CURRENT APPROACH TOWARDS FORMAT AND CONTENT OF SARs IN VIEW OF IAEA SAFETY STANDARDS Vesselina Ranguelova - SAS/NSNI Workshop on IAEA Nuclear Safety Standards for the Design of NPP, Severe Accidents and Accident Management 23-26 February 2004, Islamabad, Pakistan

2. 2 Safety Analyses Reports CONTENTS Historical Background Place of GS-G-4.1 in IAEA Safety Standards Approach Used in Development of GS-G-4.1 Role of SAR in NPP licensing process

3. 3 Background The information on the SARs is too general in former SG 50-SG-G2 on Information to be Submitted in Support of Licensing Applications for Nuclear Power Plants; This information has been further diluted in the preparation of GS-G-1.4 �Documentation for Use in Regulating Nuclear Facilities�, in order to make this new safety guide applicable for all type of nuclear installations;

4. Background There have been many requests from MS for the IAEA to produce a formal guidance on SARs Format and Content. During the International Conference on the Strengthening of Nuclear Safety in Eastern Europe, 14-18 June 1999 in Vienna, the need to develop such a document was underlined once again. Many countries embarking on Nuclear Power Programmes may benefit from the existence of such a document.

5. Place of GS-G-4.1 in IAEA Safety Standards This guide will support IAEA Safety Requirements on Safety Assessment and Verification (working number DS 314); It is Regulatory Body responsibility to �provide guidance to the operator on developing and presenting safety assessments or any other safety related information� (para 3.3 (3) of GS-R-1 );

6. 6 Other IAEA Relevant Safety Standards Series Documents Safety Fundamentals: The Safety of Nuclear Installations Safety of Nuclear Power Plants: Design, Safety Requirements, Safety Standard Series No. NS-R-1, Vienna, (2000) Safety of Nuclear Power Plants: Operation, Safety Requirements, Safety Standard Series No. NS-R-2, Vienna, (2000) Safety Assessment and Verification, Safety Guide, Safety Standard Series No. NS-G-1.2, Vienna, (2001) Review and Assessment of Nuclear Facilities by the Regulatory Body , Safety Guide, Safety Standard Series No. GS-G-1.2, Vienna, (2002)

7. Objective of the document To provide guidance on the possible format and content of a Safety Analysis Report that supports a request to the regulatory body for authorization to construct and/or operate a nuclear power plant.

8. Approach used in the development of the guide The guide is based on: Relevant existing IAEA NUSS publications; USNRC�s Regulatory Guide 1.70 (Standard Format and Content of Safety Analysis Reports for NPPs, November 1978); Recent world-wide experience.

9. 9 Approach used in the development of the guide Guide should be applicable for different type of NPP design � determines the level of details MS involved in the drafting: Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Germany, UK, USA

10. 10 Approach used in the development of the guide Although intended mainly for use with new plants, the guidance presented in SG-G-4.1 would be also useful for existing nuclear power plants when operating organizations periodically review plant safety/ validity of the current licensing basis.

11. 11 Role of SAR in the NPP licensing process The requirements for SARs depend strongly on the type of regulatory regime adopted by a State, which may affect the scope and depth of the information presented in the SAR. For States with small nuclear power programmes or States that import nuclear power plants, there may be significant reliance on the vendor State�s practices or on international work that helps to demonstrate the safety of the design .

12. 12 Role of SAR in the NPP licensing process It is common practice in many States that SARs are issued in successive and complementary parts, which may include: Pre-construction SAR Pre-operational SAR Final SAR Updated SAR

13. 13 Role of SAR in the NPP licensing process SG-G-4.1 considers: � (a) An initial (preliminary) SAR or pre-construction SAR (PCSAR) that supports the application for authorization for sitting and/or construction. (b) An updated (intermediate) SAR or pre-operation SAR (POSAR) that, in the licensing process, precedes an application for authorization to operate. Hold points in commissioning: cold tests, first fuel loading, hot tests, power increase, etc., everything before putting plant into commercial operation. (c) A finalized (final) FSAR or station SAR (SSAR) that incorporates the revisions to the intermediate report prior to the plant entering first routine commercial operation in the licensing process.

14. 14 Role of SAR in the NPP licensing process GS-G-4.1 sets out a list and provide a description of possible topics for inclusion in a comprehensive SAR for a nuclear power plant. In the application of this Safety Guide, adaptation will be needed to reflect the differences between the phases of plant licensing and the licensing practices in different States.

15. 15 Role of SAR in the NPP licensing process The SAR should contain: accurate and sufficiently precise information in such a way that the regulatory body will be able to evaluate independently the safety of the plant. sufficient information on the plant that, for the purposes of nuclear and radiation safety assessment, the amount of additional documentation necessary to allow the authorization process to proceed is minimized. reference to more detailed supplementary information that should be made available to the regulatory body, if requested.

16. 16 Role of SAR in the NPP licensing process The regulatory body should be kept well informed about the process of site selection and the subsequent development of the selected site and plant. Parts of the SAR should be submitted to the regulatory body at an early stage and in accordance with an agreed timetable. Some parts of SAR may be made available to the public.

17. 17 Role of SAR in the NPP licensing process The SAR is prepared by the operating organization to meet licensing requirements; HOWEVER The SAR should also serve as a basis for the operating organization to assess the safety implications of changes to the plant or to operating practices. Plant staff and management should also have an understanding of the main findings of the SAR.

18. 18 SAR UPDATING Systematic Updating of SAR has to be done periodically Concept of �Living SAR� is also discussed in SG-G-4.1