Enhancing Nuclear Safety Regulations in Romania

1. Energy Forum 2011 Nuclear Safety Regulation in Romania Recent Developments and Planned Actions Cantemir CIUREA – ERCAU, Director, Nuclear Fuel Cycle Division CNCAN(National Commission for Nuclear Activities Control) Bucharest, Romania Energy Forum 2011, Changing the Energy Paradigm and Outlook for South-Eastern EU

2. Presentation Outline • Development of nuclear safety regulations for new reactors • Licensing of new reactors • Safety reviews in the light of the Fukushima Accident • Concluding Remarks Energy Forum 2011, Changing the Energy Paradigm and Outlook for South-Eastern EU

3. Regulatory requirements in Romania Development of nuclear safety regulations for new reactors • During the period 2009 – 2010, CNCAN has reviewed and revised its nuclear safety regulation establishing general design criteria and requirements on sitting for nuclear power plants. • The revision led to the elaboration of two new regulations, “Nuclear Safety Requirements on Siting of Nuclear Power Plants” and “Nuclear Safety Requirements on Design and Construction of Nuclear Power Plants” published at the end of 2010. Energy Forum 2011, Changing the Energy Paradigm and Outlook for South-Eastern EU

4. Regulatory requirements in Romania The most important elements introduced by the new regulations on siting, design and construction of NPPs: • the establishment of numerical nuclear safety targets / quantitative nuclear safety objectives; • requirements on the consideration of severe accidents in the establishment of design bases and in the choice of site for nuclear power plants and on the analysis of severe accidents for demonstrating compliance with the quantitative nuclear safety objectives; • formalised requirements on accident analysis, including on the way in which deterministic and probabilistic safety analyses should be used together in the design of nuclear power plants; Energy Forum 2011, Changing the Energy Paradigm and Outlook for South-Eastern EU

5. Regulatory requirements in Romania The most important elements introduced by the new regulations on siting, design and construction of NPPs (cont’d): • detailed requirements on the format and contents of the safety analysis reports which need to be elaborated by the applicants for site and construction licenses; • formulation of nuclear safety requirements for generic plant systems in a technology-neutral, function oriented manner, without prescribing technical design solutions; • establishment of requirements on the safety classification of nuclear power plant systems, structures and components based on their safety importance, i.e. their contribution to ensuring the essential nuclear safety functions. Energy Forum 2011, Changing the Energy Paradigm and Outlook for South-Eastern EU

6. Licensing of new reactors Cernavoda Units 3 and 4 • Pre-licensing activities for Cernavoda Units 3 and 4 are ongoing. In May 2011, CNCAN has approved the Licensing Basis Documents (LBDs) for Cernavoda NPP Units 3 and 4. • The LBD includes all applicable regulatory documents, codes and standards, safety design requirements, the list of all the design basis events, safety analysis requirements, and the general requirements for the stages of construction, commissioning and operation. The applicable international safety standards and guides are also endorsed by means of the LBD. • Approval of the LBD by CNCAN means that the proposed design is licensable. • An application for a construction license for resuming construction of Cernavoda NPP Units 3 and 4 is expected in 2012. Energy Forum 2011, Changing the Energy Paradigm and Outlook for South-Eastern EU 6

7. Licensing of new reactors • In addition to the restart of the construction of Units 3 & 4 of Cernavoda NPP, the Government also announced plans for a new NPP, at a new site. However, no application for a siting licence has been yet submitted to CNCAN. • The new regulatory requirements on siting, design and construction of nuclear power reactors are formulated in a technology-neutral manner, are aligned with the latest international safety standards and represent a comprehensive framework for the licensing of new reactors. Energy Forum 2011, Changing the Energy Paradigm and Outlook for South-Eastern EU 7

8. Safety reviews in the light of the Fukushima accident • Following the accident occurred at Fukushima Daiichi NPP in Japan, the international organisations (e.g. IAEA, WANO, WENRA, ENSREG) and the national regulatory authorities have initiated reviews of the safety of existing nuclear power plants in extraordinary situations such as those caused by extreme natural events. • The reviews are aimed at assessing the current safety margins and at identifying potential improvements to increase protection against severe accidents. Energy Forum 2011, Changing the Energy Paradigm and Outlook for South-Eastern EU

9. Safety reviews in the light of the Fukushima accident • Examples of actions requested at international level include: • The Significant Operating Experience Report issued by the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) , WANO SOER 2011-2, Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Station Fuel Damage Caused by Earthquake and Tsunami • The “stress tests” required by the European Commission for all the nuclear power plants in the European Union, based on specifications developed by WENRA (Western European Nuclear Regulators Association) and agreed by ENSREG (European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group). As a member of WENRA and ENSREG, CNCAN has committed to the implementation of “stress tests” for Cernavoda NPP. Energy Forum 2011, Changing the Energy Paradigm and Outlook for South-Eastern EU

10. Safety reviews in the light of the Fukushima accident • CNCAN has requested both Nuclearelectrica (the owner and operator of Cernavoda NPP Units 1 and 2) and EnergoNuclear (the company in charge of the Cernavoda Units 3 and 4 project) to reassess safety based on the ENSREG specifications for “stress tests”. • Preliminary safety evaluation reports are expected by the 15th of August, with the final reports scheduled for submission to CNCAN by 31st of October 2011. • CNCAN will review the safety evaluation reports and will draw its own conclusions by the end of 2011. The reports resulting from the regulatory review performed by CNCAN will be made public and will be subject to a peer review by other European regulators in the first quarter of 2012. Energy Forum 2011, Changing the Energy Paradigm and Outlook for South-Eastern EU 10

11. Safety reviews in the light of the Fukushima accident • In line with the conclusions of the IAEA Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Safety (20-24 June 2011, Vienna), CNCAN is committed to take measures to strengthen its regulatory oversight of nuclear installations and activities and to perform a thorough review of the current arrangements for severe accident management, emergency preparedness and response, as well as the design provisions for coping with extreme external events. CNCAN will also take steps for promoting safety culture through a transparent dialogue with licensees, applicants and other stakeholders. • Based on the preliminary measures already taken by Cernavoda NPP to enhance protection against severe accident scenarios, we are confident that the licensees are conscious of their responsibility for safety and will implement all practicable safety improvements. • Apart from subjecting its own assessment to a European peer review, CNCAN will also report to the Extraordinary Review Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Convention on Nuclear safety in 2012. Energy Forum 2011, Changing the Energy Paradigm and Outlook for South-Eastern EU 11

12. Concluding remarks • The new Romanian regulations on siting, design and construction of nuclear power reactors offer a technology-neutral framework for the licensing of new reactors and impose high standards aimed at better prevention and enhanced protection against severe accidents. • CNCAN is committed to the implementation of the lessons learned from the Fukushima accident. Safety reviews for the re-assessment of nuclear power reactors in operation and under construction are ongoing and any reasonably practicable improvements resulting from the reviews will be implemented. The results of these safety reviews will be made public. • Ensuring safety is essential for the sustainable development of the Romanian nuclear power programme. Safety should be the first priority of all those involved in the nuclear industry. Energy Forum 2011, Changing the Energy Paradigm and Outlook for South-Eastern EU