Lifetime Management projects for Spanish Nuclear Power Plants

CLIENT: Asociación Nuclear Ascó-Vandellós (ANAV), Centrales Nucleares Almaraz-Trillo (CNAT) and Central Nuclear Santa María de Garoña (NUCLENOR)

SERVICES: Engineering Specialised Studies

YEAR: 2010-Ongoing

COUNTRY: Spain

As a consequence of time and operation, Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) undergo ageing processes. These processes affect all Systems, structures and Components (SSC) and may affect the NPP´s safety throughout its lifetime. Therefore appropriate measures must be taken into consideration to address the wear mechanisms of SSCs, their obsolescence compared to the current standards, and also non-technical challenges like knowledge management. This is particularly crucial when life extension of the facility, its refurbishment, shutdown or decommissioning are considered. Degradation processes are manifold and complex such as corrosion, erosion, erosion-corrosion, radiation and thermally induced embrittlement, fatigue, corrosion fatigue and creep.

Between 2003 and 2009, IDOM has developed the studies and evaluations required for the license renewal application for the long term operation of the NPP of Santa Maria de Garoña.
Since 2006, IDOM has also been providing support to the Spanish NPPs of Asco, Almaraz, Vandellos II and Trillo in the different areas of planning, development, implementation, and monitoring of the life management and long term operation plans. This work has been performed following the Nuclear Safety Council Instruction number IS-22, which is based on the rules 10CFR54, NUREG-1800 (SRP) and NUREG-1801 (GALL) of the NRC.
Since 2011, IDOM has been participating in the Nuclear Power IAEA Working Groups in the development of IGALL, the technical guides to serve as a reference for the Life Management and Long Term Operation of Nuclear Power Plants worldwide.