The Global Commercial Nuclear Industry is Changing
The commercial nuclear industry is experiencing change on a global scale. Rapid expansion is occurring in nuclear fleets in China and other countries and areas.
New operating organisations are starting up units, whilst mature operating organisations are adding new units to their already established fleets, while newcomer countries are seeking to add nuclear to their national energy mix for the first time.
New Unit Assistance Industry Working Group
To benefit from industry experience, and sharing of lessons learnt, new nuclear units and entrants are encouraged to join the NUA I-WG. The group is supported by the IAEA, EPRI, and WNA, and brings together member representatives from new nuclear projects across the globe – they meet twice a year to share operating experience and good practices as well as supporting the development of key industry guidance.
The vision of the NUA I-WG is to promote the adoption of the highest standards of nuclear safety and reliability by new nuclear units through the open sharing of experience and expertise with an emphasis on encouraging the adoption of industry best practices.
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 are 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.
Project Milestone Timeline
Click on the tiles below to view phase 1 to 3 of the typical nuclear project milestones.
Phase 1: 3-5 Years
Early support in the form of seminars, workshops and other general T&D activities organised by WANO and attended by several plants with similar interests in designing and building activities.
Phase 2: 4-6 Years
Mid-term support by a mix of MSMs and T&D activities in engineering issues.
Phase 3: 2 Years
Final support in the form of a bespoke MSMs to match individual plants’ needs on operational issues.
New Unit Assistance in Numbers
Statistics from April 2024 – IAEA PRIS Database
New reactors connected to the grid globally since 2011
New reactors currently under construction globally
Of the reactors under construction are in Asia
Of the reactors under construction are in Europe
New Unit Assistance Modules
The 18 modules offered are intended to assist WANO members along the length of the new unit project timeline. The modules include Nuclear Safety Culture, Operator Fundamentals, Organisational Effectiveness and Oversight, Operational 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 with WANO is Crucial for any New Unit
Full and effective engagement with WANO 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 WANO products and services including 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.
Pre-Start Up Peer Reviews
WANO provides all new units with a pre-start-up review before initial criticality. A team of specialists has been assembled to manage these reviews to ensure safe and reliable operation of new units.
For more information, or if you require New Unit Assistance, please contact our experts.
Integrated Suite of Services
WANO services help member plants compare themselves against global standards of excellence and reach higher levels of safe and reliable performance.