Nuclear Energy Insight
Winter 2012—A nuclear industry proposal for an integrated, flexible approach to safety enhancements at U.S. reactors is the quickest path to the greatest benefit from implementing recommendations of a U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission task force. The industry proposal calls for flexible means to enhance safety and preparedness for extreme natural events that exceed the design limits of a facility.
The industry’s “
FLEX” proposal views nuclear energy facilities as holistic systems and addresses fundamental safety needs: cooling the reactor fuel and powering safety systems—indefinitely, if necessary.
The industry’s analysis of the 2011 Fukushima accident identified the extended loss of off-site power and, therefore, loss of reactor cooling as the main causes of damage to the reactors. Flooding caused by the tsunami knocked out backup power sources.
FLEX would address these issues first, regardless of their cause, quickly yielding up to 95 percent of the safety benefits of the NRC’s post-Fukushima task force recommendations, said Charles Pardee, chief operating officer for Exelon Generation Co. and chairman of an industry committee that is coordinating Fukushima-related safety enhancements. This approach also will optimize the use of NRC and industry resources.
The proposal uses portable safety equipment and other items the plant will need in an extreme event. It builds on similar measures to bolster security after the 2001 terrorist attacks, but accounts for extraordinary natural disasters.
FLEX would add and strategically position pumps, emergency diesel generators, batteries, air compressors and communications gear that may be needed immediately. FLEX also considers a long-term response by including items like heat exchangers, control valves, hoses and fittings, dosimeters, additional diesel fuel, water treatment equipment, and food and water for emergency workers. It would include virtually everything needed to support workers as they stabilize a facility.
It is equally important that equipment and supplies be accessible without becoming damaged or unavailable during an extreme event. FLEX proposes to store emergency equipment at multiple locations at a facility and to create regional equipment centers that could supply multiple facilities.
FLEX is rooted in the nuclear energy industry’s analysis of lessons learned from the Fukushima accident.
“The leadership of the U.S. commercial nuclear industry is dedicated to gaining a deep understanding of the events at Fukushima Daiichi and to taking the necessary actions to improve safety and emergency preparedness at America’s nuclear energy facilities,” Pardee said.
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