In the context of the damage sustained by the units 1 to 4 of Fukushima-Dai-chi Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) after an earthquake and its subsequent tsunami on the 11th March 2011, the CSN identified the need for an Alternative Emergency Control Centre (AECC) for all the Nuclear Power Plants in Spain. This has been implemented in accordance with the basic defense criteria followed by the industry in Spain and other European countries after the accident and in compliance with the Complementary Technical Instruction (ITC-03).
The aim of the site evaluation was to analyse from a geological and geotechnical point of view, the siting of the new AECC at the Santa María de Garoña NPP (CNSMG). A preliminary study of the terrain in order to investigate the rock profile at the site was carried out, since the AECC was planned to be built on the pure tertiary substrate.
For this project, the analysed documentation included previous preliminary studies carried out on the plant and the data obtained from the geotechnical campaign which consisted of 3 surveys of 10-12 m deep and 5 mechanical soil pits, in-situ deformability, permeability as well as other laboratory tests.