Technical Meeting on Experiences in Using Probabilistic Safety Assessment in the Design of Nuclear Power Plants

Objectives

The objective of the event is to provide the participants with an opportunity to share experiences and discuss challenges related to the use of PSA in the design and in design evaluation of nuclear power plants. Special emphasis will be placed on experience in the development of PSA models that could be instrumental in supporting the use of PSA for justification and optimization of design safety for innovative technologies, including those used for small modular reactors.

Target Audience

The event is open to representatives of all Member States with an active nuclear power programme, including those from embarking countries in Phase 3 of their nuclear programme.? The event is targeted at professionals from NPP design organizations, operating organizations, nuclear regulatory authorities, technical support organizations and research institutions who are engaged in activities related to or in support to the development and application of probabilistic safety assessment in the design and in design evaluation of nuclear power plants. Particular areas are listed in the Topics section, here below.

Topics

The event will address recent experiences in Member States to overcome challenges and limitations as well as to promote advantages in the development and the application of PSA at the design stage and in design evaluation of nuclear power plants, such as:

• Use of PSA for NPP at the design evaluation conducted for the regulatory decision making process;

• Overcome incomplete reliability data and design information of structures, systems and components in the development of PSA models;

• Development of PSA models for new NPP designs using current operating experience feedback available;

• Overcome lack of information related to the development of operating procedures and severe accident management guidelines;

• Evaluation of considerations and factors related to modelling of human performance;

• Use of PSA at the design stage to help the development of operating procedures and severe accident management guidelines;

• Consider the development of PSA at the design stage to help defining priorities for research and tests related to new designs solutions;

• Examples of evaluation of risk to prioritize and compare design solutions using PSA at the design stage for NPPs;

• Use of PSA at the design stage to help defining the safety classification of structures, systems, and components important to safety.

Expected Outputs

Participants will gain sound knowledge and a better understanding related to the different challenges, advantages and limitations related to the development of probabilistic safety assessment models at the early stage of design and design evaluation of nuclear power plants based on the current practices in Member States. The information exchanged will serve as a basis for development of an IAEA publication on the adequate use of PSA models at the early stage of development of innovative reactors technologies, including those used for SMRs. In addition, the results of discussions from the event are expected to contribute to the revision of the Level 1 PSA IAEA Safety Guide SSG-3 “Development and Application of Level 1 Probabilistic Safety Assessment for Nuclear Power Plants” and of the Level 2 PSA IAEA Safety Guide SSG-4 “Development and Application of Level 2 Probabilistic Safety Assessment for Nuclear Power Plants” by providing information on the consensus reached on practices and experiences in Member States.