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Despite high-profile accidents, that remain fresh in the minds of people all over the world, the advantages of nuclear power are hard to ignore. It’s efficient. It’s reliable. Plants require less land and the CO2 footprint is low. So what can be done to safely reap the benefits? As outlined in the new book, Powering an Always-on World by Schneider Electric, safety certification is key. New, stringent safety regulations have been introduced for nuclear plants to be declared safe.
In order to achieve safety standards that can stand the test of time, many utilities considering nuclear power restarts and expansion are seeking technology suppliers that can power and certify the equipment around the nuclear reactor. From start to finish, they are using three methodologies for achieving the highest level of certification.
The first is done during planning. The electrical and process architecture should be designed through accredited, high-level engineering companies. These engineering companies ensure the incorporation of the country’s nuclear safety authority recommendations. It’s also important to incorporate safe, accredited, and well-known equipment for the nuclear island of any new-build plant. And finally, it’s necessary to guarantee that the nuclear power plant can always produce electricity with the highest level of safety over the long term. As some of the initially installed equipment won’t last as long as the plant, one best practice is to implement a long-term service maintenance agreement that includes equipment renewals with identical equipment, bearing the same safety accreditations, and a committed site service team.
There is no other power source quite like nuclear. Fortunately, safety certification is one way utilities can ensure security and address public and political concern.
For more information, read chapter 4 of our free utility ebook, Powering an Always-on World.
