Procurement Engineering And Supply Chain Guidelines In Support Of Operation And Maintenance Of Nuclear Facilities

Procurement must be effectively managed to ensure availability of design functions throughout a nuclear facility's service life. Ineffective control of procurement process can jeopardize facility safety, reduce reliability, or can result in increased costs to operating organizations. This publication provides an overview of nuclear procurement processes, issues of special concern, and provides guidance for good practices to set up and manage a high-quality procurement organization. Lessons learned for organizations considering new build nuclear projects are also included.

Asset management plays an important role in maintaining the competitiveness of nuclear power plants in a challenging and changing electricity market. The value of effective asset management is in providing support to those making decisions seeking the optimum level of financial performance, operational performance and risk exposure. This publication provides information on various methodologies, good practices and approaches to manage assets in nuclear power plants currently in operation or in other operational nuclear facilities. Information relevant to new build and decommissioning environments is also provided.

Nuclear cogeneration to produce electricity and process heat for nonelectric applications such as desalination, district heating or cooling or hydrogen production can play an important role in reducing dependence on fossil fuels. The implementation of nuclear cogeneration projects is inherently complex and such projects require a clear understanding of actions and responsibilities during the design, operation and management phases. This publication focuses on analysing the requirements and responsibilities of users and vendors and correspondence between them through the life cycle to of a nuclear cogeneration project, highlighting experience and lessons learned from retrofit and new build projects.

This publication explains how a reactor technology assessment is performed and how the process and its results enable decision making for nuclear power planning and implementation at each of its phases. The methodology has been revised to incorporate developments since the first edition in 2013 and includes feedback from comprehensive training workshops offered for the last six years to Member States introducing nuclear power programmes. The aim of this publication is to help newcomer Member States to understand the complexity involved in the selection of the most suitable reactor technology as well as obligations and responsibilities integral to an unbiased assessment. The publication can also be used by countries that already have nuclear power programmes, to assist in their selection of the next nuclear power plant.

Ensuring safety and efficiency of the procurement market for nuclear power generation has become one of the top priorities of the policy makers in Korea since the discovery of a large number of fraudulent parts and components used by nuclear power plants. This book analyzes the nuclear power industry procurement in Korea, France, and the UK. Although all three countries restructured their electricity industry, they differ substantially in the history of the nuclear power industry, ownership and governance of firms in the industry, and relevant legal infrastructure. The findings of this book will shed light on the factors that affect safety and efficiency in the nuclear power procurement markets and the right direction for reform.

Integrated risk management (IRM) is particularly important during the preparation and construction phases of a nuclear power plant (NPP) and anticipates the risks that could arise during the operation and decommissioning phases. This publication is designed to enhance stakeholders' understanding of the fundamental processes, procedures, and methods for IRM. Practical guidelines are provided and best practices shared. The importance of having appropriate risk management policies, especially when considering the various contractual and organizational arrangements in different construction entities, operating organizations and Member States is emphasized. Tables are provided throughout the publication to indicate the causes of risks and their impacts on the applicable NPP or project. Economic evaluation techniques are also introduced. Member States contemplating expanding their existing nuclear power plant fleets can be expected to benefit from this publication, but it will likely be most valuable for Member States newly embarking upon a nuclear power programme.

The development of the infrastructure for a nuclear power programme includes the establishment of policies and strategies in areas such as human resource development, nuclear fuel cycle and waste management, industrial involvement and nuclear safety. It also requires the establishment of a legal and regulatory framework that creates an environment enabling the project to be implemented in a transparent and effective manner. These elements of this infrastructure will have an impact on the project and will guide the discussions of the future owner/operator with potential vendors. In this regard, it is important that the owner/operator, if already identified, participates in this process from the beginning. This publication provides information on the establishment and development of the owner/operator so that it can discharge its responsibilities throughout the phases of the programme. It also discusses the management of the interfaces between the owner/operator and other stakeholders.

Member States intending to introduce a nuclear power programme will need to pass through several phases during the implementation. Experience shows that careful planning of the objectives, roles, responsibilities, interfaces and tasks to be carried out in different phases of a nuclear project is important for success. This publication presents a harmonized approach that may be used to structure the owner/operator management system and establish and manage nuclear projects and their development activities irrespective of the adopted approach. It has been developed from shared management practices and consolidated experiences provided by nuclear project management specialists through a series of workshops and working groups organized by the IAEA. The resultant publication presents a useful framework for the management of nuclear projects from initiation to closeout and captures international best practices.