An application by Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe company has been submitted to the Polish National Atomic Energy Agency to classify the safety systems of the nuclear power plant planned in the Pomeranian region.
An application by Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe company has been submitted on the 13th of March to the President of the Polish National Atomic Energy Agency (PAA) to classify the safety systems of a nuclear power plant. On the basis of this application, the PAA President will draw up a general opinion that will assess PEJ's planned organizational and technical solutions for safety systems and structural and equipment components used by Westinghouse Electric Company in the design of the AP1000 reactor.
"Ensuring the highest level of safety for Pomerania's first nuclear power plant is crucial for the company. Therefore, we are in continued dialogue with the National Atomic Energy Agency, the regulator in charge of compliance with nuclear safety requirements. The opinion of the PAA President, which we will obtain in the course of the initiated process, will help us adjust the proposed technical and business solutions to guarantee the highest possible standards of reliability in the operation of the planned power plant", stressed Łukasz Młynarkiewicz, vice-president of Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe.
In the course of the assessment, the PAA President may indicate which of the solutions planned by the investor will require additional analyses to be carried out in order for them to comply with Polish law. The methodology proposed by PEJ will also be verified for compliance with the requirements imposed by the Atomic Law and the Regulation of the Council of Ministers of August 31, 2012 on the requirements of nuclear safety and radiation protection to be taken into account in the design of a nuclear facility. The two documents outline the regulations to be taken into account when determining the safety class of a given system, structural component and equipment of a nuclear facility.
What is safety classification?
Safety classification is used to identify systems and equipment that play an important role in ensuring nuclear safety. It also defines the quality requirements placed on them during design, production, testing and oversight throughout the life cycle of a nuclear facility.
For every system and component of the nuclear facility's structure and equipment, a corresponding safety class is specified. It depends on the level of importance of such systems for ensuring nuclear safety and radiation protection of the nuclear power plant. Each class has specific quality requirements including requirements on the reliability and durability of individual devices. The higher the safety class, the more stringent the conditions for the qualified items.
The opinion of the PAA President will help identify areas of planned solutions that require further work and changes to guarantee the highest safety standards and reliability of operation of Poland's first nuclear power plant.
This is already the second application submitted by PEJ to PAA
Submitted on March 13th, 2023, the application for safety classification is the second such letter submitted to the PAA President on issues related to the nuclear safety of power plants. In September 2022, PEJ submitted an application to the PAA President to obtain a general opinion for the proposed scope of verification of safety analyses of the planned nuclear power plants, which is currently under review. The PAA President has 6 months to issue an opinion, starting from the date of submission of a complete application.
Responsibilities of the project investor include ensuring nuclear safety of the planned investment. These include carrying out the relevant safety analyses and developing the classification of systems, structural elements and equipment of a nuclear power plant, as required to apply for a license to build a nuclear facility. Documentation being prepared by the company, in cooperation with Westinghouse Electric Company, will be part of the application.