carem licensing activities

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Argentinas Experience with

conducting EIA for CAREM 25

Licensing ActivitiesDaro Delmastro

CNEA

18th Meeting of the Technical Working Group on Advanced Technologies for LWRs

Session III (LWR)Invited Presentations by TWG-LWR Members on Small and

Modular Reactor Development, Safety and Licensing

Vienna - June 2013


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CAREM 25

National Law 26566/2009On 17th December 2009, the law declares of

national interest, inter alias, the design,

construction and start up of CAREM prototype,

establishing a special regime. CNEA wasentrusted to complete these tasks.

First, a prototype of an electrical output of about 27

MW, CAREM 25, will be constructed in order to

validate the innovation of CAREM concept and

then developed to commercial version.


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CAREM -25 Distinctive Features

Integrated primary

cooling system

Primary cooling by

natural circulation

Self-pressurized

Safety systems relying

on passive features


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Licensing of Nuclear Facilities

ARN is empowered to "issue regulatory standards relating to radiationand nuclear safety, physical protection and control of use of nuclear

materials, licensing and inspection of nuclear facilities, international

safeguards and transportation of nuclear materials in all aspects

regarding nuclear and radiation safety and physical protection" as

provided in paragraph a) of Article 16 of Law N 24.804.

The Argentine regulatory standards are performance oriented: they are

not prescriptive but define compliance with security objectives. The

"how" these goals are achieved is bases on appropriate decision

making by the organization that deals with the design, construction,

commissioning, operation and decommissioning of the facility inquestion, the organization must demonstrate to the Regulatory

Authority that the technical means employed meet the objectives

proposed by the standards.


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CAREM 25 Licensing

In 2010 the ARN has approved a new licensing scheme forprototype NPPs in the frame of non-routinary practice.

The aim is to ensure that CAREM Prototype reaches the

standards set forth in the applicable regulations taking into

account the peculiarities of a NPP that will be the first of the

kind.

Documents have being provided to the Regulatory Body

according to the new scheme. ARN has reviewed them andcomments and requests were made. A reviewed version

has being provided to ARN.


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CAREM 25 Licensing

The different radiation sources, normal operationdischarges and dispersion were evaluated.

The annual dose in the public was estimated to

verify the fulfillment of the requirementsestablished by AR 3.1.2 (Restriction of Radioactive

Effluents in Nuclear Power Plants) and AR 10.1.1

(Basic Radiation Safety Standard) for the

radiological impact due to normal operation.


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CAREM 25 Licensing

A level 3 Probabilistic Safety Assessment wasperformed.

The effective dose in the critical group due to

accidents and the annual probability wasestimated to verify the fulfillment of the

requirements established by AR 3.1.3

(Radiological Criteria Relating to Accidents in

Nuclear Power Plants).


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Argentine Radiological Criteria Relating to

Accidents in Nuclear Power Plants

One of the main goals of the nuclear regulations is toprotect the people from the hazards associated with

nuclear energy production.

Besides the deterministic analysis and associatedrequirements, a risk based regulation must be fulfilled.

The argentine regulation criterion in relation with the

radiological risk associated with nuclear power plants

(NPPs) accidents is to keep this value below a

reasonable level. The target is that the increase in the

risk of death produced by the radiological consequences

of accidental conditions in a nuclear power plant shall be

lower than 10-6per year for the critical group.


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The radiological risk related with an accidental sequence

depends on the probability of occurrence of the

accidental sequence, the effective dose and the

probability of death related with this effective dose.

The argentine regulation AR 3.1.3. establish the criteria

for the radiological risk related with accidental conditions

in nuclear power plants.


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The set of accidental sequences associated with

potential public exposures shall be identified using an

accepted methodology.

The annual probability of occurrence of each of theidentified sequences shall be calculated using event

trees and fault trees.

The failure analysis shall systematically cover al thefailures and accidental sequences that can be foreseen,

including failures combinations and beyond the design

base situations.


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The accidental sequences treatment could be simplified

by choosing an accidental sequence as representative

of a group of them. In this case the sequence with the

worst radiological consequence shall be selected and it

annual probability of occurrence shall be calculatedadding the probabilities of all the sequences of the

group.

The analysis shall consider that a safety function couldbe not operable.


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The failure and accidental sequences analysis shall be

based, as far as possible, on experimental data. If this is

not possible the evaluation methods shall be

demonstrated by analytical studies.

In the evaluation of systems failure probabilities, the

failure probabilities assign to the components shall be

justified. If not justified values are available for a given

component, the regulatory authority will indicate thevalue to be used.

The confidence values related to human actions shall be

justified. The complexity of the task and other factors

should be considered.


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The dose on the critical group that results from the liberation

and dispersion of radionucleids shall be calculated using

accepted methods. The meteorological conditions and their

probabilities shall be considered. No credit shall be taken for

any countermeasure (i.e. evacuation).

No accidental sequence, with radiological consequences for

the public, shall have an annual probability of occurrence that

plotted against the effective dose results in a point located in

the unacceptable region.If number N of accidental sequences is greater than 10, the

allowed annual probability of shall be divided by N/10, in

order to keep the below 10-6per year. overall risk.


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Effective

Dose (Sv)

Ann

ual

Proba

bility

Unacceptable


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Post Fukushima Actions

CAREM-25 prototype

The design was reviewed consideringFukushima experience

The following topics were considered: Seismic requirements

Loss of heat sink

Black-out Others


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Seismic Design

The design basis earthquake wasreviewed.

A risk based criteria was

used.

AR 3.10.1AR 3.1.3


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Loss of heat sink and black-out

CAREM-25 is an Integrated PWR

Safety systems relying on passive features

Long grace period



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Loss of heat sink and black-out

CAREM-25 considers in it design base the loss of heat sinkand black-out during the grace period.

Provisions are considered to allow after the grace periodcore decay heat removal using the fire extinguish systemor an autonomous system.

Provisions are considered to allow after the grace periodcontainment cooling using the fire extinguish system or an

autonomous system. Provisions are considered to allow after the grace period

electrical supply to safety related systems usingautonomous generation systems.


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Non Radiological Environmental Impact

Assessment

The use of the land is under the jurisdiction of the

provinces according to the last National

constitution.

The non-radiological Environmental Impact

Assessment is under the jurisdiction of the

provinces.

A provincial permit is needed for industrial

facilities.


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Assessment

To concede this permit, the application authority of

Provincia de Buenos Aires (OPDS) requires an

Environmental Impact Assessment performed and

signed by registered professionals.

The Universidad Tecnolgica Nacional - Facultad

Regional Avellaneda (UTN-FRA) has performed

the EIA of CAREM reactor prototype.


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Assessment

The non-radiological Environmental Impact Assessment

includes:

- An assessment of the facility construction need.

- Objective and economical benefits of the facility.

- Assessment methodology.

- Geographical location.

- Legal frame.


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Assessment

-Characterization of the natural media

- Environmental base.

- Social and economical study, including public opinionassessment.

- Environmental Impacts due to the normal operation of the

facility (fog, water temperature, gaseous discharges, etc.).


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Assessment

-Potential risk assessment (fires, explosions, missiles, high

pressure equipments, gaseous toxic releases, effect of

external events like fires, earthquakes, flooding, storms,

etc).

- Environmental Management Plan requirements.

- Environmental Impact Matrix. A brief summary that allows

to rapidly individualize the relevant impacts.

- Results and recommendations.


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Assessment

The OPDS has classified the CAREM 25 as 3rdCategory

according to its Environmental complexity Level.

The Environmental Impact Assessment was presented last

year.

The OPDS has evaluated it and has published it to allow

the different stake-holders to ask questions.

The OPDS could call a no binding public hearing.


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Thank You