ASN joins consulting launched by WENRA on safety objectives for new nuclear reactors

The Western European Nuclear Regulators’ Association (WENRA)^[1] has published a report on safety objectives for new nuclear power reactors built in Europe. This report has been made publicly available for stakeholder’s comments.

Currently chaired by ASN, the WENRA’s Reactor Harmonisation Working Group (RHWG), which produced a report in 2006 on the safety of existing reactors, has been working on the new reactor safety report since March 2008 to give WENRA members the opportunity to define and express a common approach to safety.

RHWG relies on existing documentation available on new reactors (IAEA, NEA, national regulations, etc.) and, on this basis, has proposed safety objectives for these reactors. Among these objectives, one of the most important is that every new European reactor should present higher safety levels comparing to those currently in operation and their design should include severe accident consequences ^[2].

Henceforth, WENRA invites stakeholders to send their comments on this report, especially on proposed safety objectives, before the end of June 2010. Comments received will be used to amend to the proposed safety objectives.

ASN supports this initiative considering that it encourages the harmonisation and the reinforcement of nuclear safety in Europe while several reactor construction projects have been announced.

To consult the report and submit comments: www.wenra.eu

[1] WENRA brings together nuclear safety regulators from European Union countries producing electricity from nuclear power and in Switzerland. EU countries that do not produce electricity from nuclear power participate as observers. The ASN chairman, André-Claude Lacoste, helped create WENRA and served as its first president.

[2] This is the case for the EPR Reactor in case of core meltdown, for example.