Industry Leaders Support Increased Standardisation Of Reactor Designs
Written by N
Wednesday, 14 April 2010
A number of the world’s nuclear industry leaders have endorsed proposals by the World Nuclear Association (WNA) for greater international standardisation of nuclear power reactor designs.
WNA director-general John Ritch has said that the benefits of international standardisation include greatly heightened economy, enhanced experience feedback and safety, regulatory efficiency and predictability in new-plant approval and construction.
In an open letter sent yesterday to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the OECD’s Nuclear Energy Agency, the World Association of Nuclear Operators, the European Nuclear Safety Regulator Group and the Multinational Design Evaluation Program, Mr Ritch said: “To achieve standardisation will require the combined efforts of industry, regulators, national governments and inter-governmental institutions.”
Signatories to the letter included Areva’s chief executive officer (CEO) Anne Lauvergeon, the chairman and CEO of Electricité de France, Henri Proglio, the president and CEO of Westinghouse Electric, Aris Candris, and the executive vice-president and chief nuclear officer of the Tokyo Electric Power Company Ichiro Takekuro.
Mr Ritch said the WNA vehicle for engaging on the topic is its expert working group on Cooperation in Reactor Design Evaluation and Licensing (CORDEL). The WNA letter references a CORDEL report which envisages three stages by which standardisation might be achieved.
