UK publishes stress test report for non power-generating nuclear facilities

15 May 2012


No serious safety weaknesses have emerged following stress tests at the UK’s non-power generating nuclear facilities, however the Office of Nuclear Regulation has raised 75 issues that must be addressed by licensees.

ONR’s stress test report, published 15 May, covers a wide variety of nuclear installations including the Sellafield and Dounreay sites, as well as five defence facilities.

The stress test process aims to enhance safety and ensure that lessons are learned from the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station in Japan.

“There is work to be done to make the UK’s non-generating nuclear sites more resilient, but there are no serious safety weaknesses,” said Mark Foy, a senior inspector at the Office for Nuclear Regulation, who was involved in producing the non-power generating nuclear facilities report.

Most of the findings cover severe accident management and back-up for key systems and functions, Foy added.

Of the 75 findings, 25 are unique to Sellafield, which is one of the biggest groupings of nuclear installations with Europe. Six findings are dedicated to Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd (DSRL), three to Springfields Fuel Ltd, two to the defuelled reactors of Magnox Ltd, two to Urenco Ltd, one to Research Site Restoration Ltd (RSRL) and one to EDF Energy NNB Generation Company Ltd in relation to its proposed Hinkley C site.

“The relatively large number of findings in comparison to ONR’s National Stress Tests Final Report for UK NPPs is a reflection of the number of licensees involved and the diverse nature of the facilities they operate,” ONR said in its report.


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