Research by an international consortium could lead to extensions in the operational lifespan of nuclear power plants around the world. The INCEFA-SCALE programme aims to reduce uncertainties about how critical components will perform when subjected to the harsh conditions inside operational reactors.

One of the key duties of a nuclear safety authority is to ascertain the nuclear facility safety.

MYRRHA (Multipurpose hYbrid Research Reactor for High-tec Applications) is a unique highly innovative prototype of a nuclear reactor driven by a high power linear accelerator. It will be designed to operate in both critical (no accelerator needed) and subcritical mode. MYRRHA has a fast spectrum core cooled by Lead Bismuth Eutectic (LBE).

The recent stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in Alloy 182 in reactor pressure vessel nozzles, reactor internal attachment or penetrations dissimilar metal welds in boiling water reactors (BWRs) represent a serious potential safety concern.

Russian federal nuclear safety rules and regulations ‘Basic Safety Provisions for Nuclear Power Plants’ (NP-001-15) establish a requirement to complement the safety analysis for a nuclear power plant with estimation of errors and uncertainties in the obtained results.

A leak suspected to have been caused by high cycle thermal fatigue due to fluctuating axial motion of a swirl penetration front end has been detected in early 2018 in a non-isolable Reactor Coolant System branch at the Doel 1 Nuclear Power Plant (Belgium).

Similar to the situation with other human activities, the coronavirus pandemic has put to test the regulator ability to adapt and retain effective performance under extreme conditions. 

In recent years, there has been a growing interest across the world in the designs of small nuclear power plants (SNPP) with small reactors of various types. 

The Exercise Evaluation software was developed by the SEC NRS to render the scientific and technical support to the Information and Analytical Centre of Rostechnadzor (Rostechnadzor IAC) – the Russian state safety regulation authority in the field of atomic energy. 

The small modular nuclear power reactors under development represent a new way of thinking about nuclear energy.