Background
The
design, construction, commissioning of a Nuclear Power Plant
(NPP) is done with the prevalent Atomic Energy Regulatory
Board (AERB) Codes and Guides and takes into account feedback
available from the operating experience of national and
international plants
Later
during operational life of the Plant, its safety performance
is regularly evaluated by the internal review process at NPCIL
and AERB. Periodic Safety Reviews (PSR) and related
improvements in safety of the plant are carried out as per
regulatory practices at the time of periodic reviews. The
national and international Operational Experience provides
another means of on
line safety review and keeps the features up to date. For
example, the reviews of and lessons learnt from Narora
Atomic Power Station (NAPS) fire incident, Madras Atomic Power
Station (MAPS) Tsunami event, Three Mile Island (TMI) accident
and Chernobyl accident have been used to improve safety
wherever required.
As part of
this practice the lessons learnt from event at Fukushima are
being reviewed.
•Accident
at
Fukushima Nuclear Power Plants (NPP) in Japan occurred on 11th
March,2011, due to Earth
Quake followed by Tsunami.
•On
15th March, 2011, CMD NPCIL
constituted four task forces to review consequences of
occurrences of similar situations in INDIAN NPPs under
operation, which broadly fall into four categories. They are
1.Boiling Water Reactors (BWR)
(TAPS 1&2)
2.Pressurized Heavy Water
Reactors (PHWRs) at RAPS 1&2
3.PHWRs at MAPS 1&2
4.Standard PHWRs from NAPS
onwards
•These
task
force were asked to make a quick assessment of safety of
Indian NPPs assuming non
availability of motive power and design water supply routes
and recommend improvements, so
that situation as it developed at Fukushima can be avoided
even under adverse conditions.
•All
the
task forces submitted their reports by end of March 2011,
based on preliminary information available on Fukushima event
at that time.
•The
details of this event are still unfolding. The observations of
International community are also being tracked so as to
provide additional input to the action plans for Indian NPPs.
•The
reports
of the Task Forces were summarised in a document titled “Safety
Evaluation of Indian NPPs Post Fukushima Incident” to
provide an integrated picture for broad appreciation of the
associated topics like description of Fukushima event,
process of safety review and assessment in NPCIL along with
specific recommendations applicable to respective plants.
•Subsequently,
two
more task forces were formed by CMD NPCIL, to
assess
safety of Indian NPPs under construction, assuming
non-availability of motive power and design water supply
routes.
One task force for VVER,
Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR) under construction at
KKNPP.
One task force for 700 MWe,
PHWRs under construction at KAPP 3&4 and RAPP 7&8.
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