The global commercial nuclear industry is changing

Globally, the commercial nuclear industry is experiencing significant change. Units in North America and much of Western Europe are nearing the end of their operating lifetimes while rapid expansion is occurring in nuclear fleets in China, India and other countries and areas.

At the same time, new operating organisations are starting up units in existing regulatory frameworks, mature operating organisations are adding new units to established fleets, while newcomer countries are seeking to add nuclear to their national energy mix for the first time.

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Bespoke support to New Units

In order to ensure that new units operate safely and reliably, WANO offers a New Unit Assistance (NUA) service. This new service offers bespoke and focused support to members during the transition from project phase all the way through to the operating phase of a company, ready for safe and reliable operation.

To benefit from WANO’s expertise and to ensure they start up safely and on time, new nuclear units and entrants should join WANO as soon as the contracts for main works is signed. By becoming a member of WANO before construction begins and several years before initial criticality, new units will gain the maximum value from their membership.

This focused support helps members build-up the appropriate operational mind-set through the three key phases (design, construction and commissioning) of the overall project timeline.

NUA In numbers:

56 new reactors connected to the grid globally since 2011

52 new reactors currently under construction around the world

32 out of the 52 new reactors under construction currently, are in Asia (for example in China, India, UAE, Bangladesh)

* WNA World Nuclear Performance Report 2019 and IAEA PRIS database (Sep 2019)

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The New Unit Assistance modules

The 18 modules offered are intended to assist WANO members along the length of the NUA timeline. The modules include Nuclear Safety Culture, Operator Fundamentals, Organisational Effectiveness and Oversight, Operator Decision-Making and Training, and others that match typical nuclear project milestones.

Provision of the NUA modules can be tailored to members’ specific needs, and the delivery methods are varied to ensure the member receives the right information for them in the most effective way - via training materials, sharing of industry best practices, benchmarking, and use of operating experience, targeted support missions and training.

Early engagement is crucial for any New Unit

Full and effective engagement with the NUA programme can significantly reduce the risk of a delay to start-up or a setback during the construction phase.

Lessons learnt from WANO pre-startup review (PSURs) and thousands of operating experience events from the construction and commissioning phase from plants across the world have been incorporated into the NUA modules. This enables WANO members to learn from past challenges and to ensure their construction and commissioning projects are delivered on time and as safely and successfully as possible.

The global commercial nuclear industry is changing

NUA In numbers:

For more information download:

NEW UNIT ASSISTANCE (NUA) MODULE CARDS

WANO NUA FAQs

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