International insurance survey at Torness NPP

11-13 June 2013, there was held an international insurance survey at Torness nuclear power plant (Torness NPP) in the UK, located on the North Sea coast near the capital of Scotland, Edinburgh.

The commission was led by Mike Peach, Technical Director (NRI Ltd), and Val Martel, Surveyor (NRI Ltd).

There also took part representatives from different national nuclear insurance pools and specialized companies in the survey:

Val Martell (VM)                Nuclear Risk Insurers (NSO)

Mike Peach                          Nuclear Risk Insurers (TPL, P & M)

Paul Galbraith (PG)           Nuclear Risk Insurers (FP)

Thorsten Leubert (TL)     German Nuclear Pool (P & M)

Li Zhe (LZ)                           Chinese Nuclear Pool (Observer)

Anatoly Nikitin (AN)         Russian Nuclear Insurance Pool ()

Wim Buysse (WB)             ELINI (NSO / FP)

Bruce Kettle (BK)              Northcourt

The objectives of this insurance survey were:

⎯  review of the insurance risk for Torness NPP in the view to the responsibility insurance for nuclear damage to third parties and property damage insurance risk;

⎯  assesment of the insurance risk decrease according to the results of the recommendations made after the survey in 2008 ;

⎯  exploitation review of the Torness NPP in 2011;

⎯  performance and monitoring analysis of the general equipment and systems  of the Torness NPP;

⎯  study of the action of the Torness NPP owner in terms of its impact on the environment and the program control improvement;

⎯  overview of the Torness NPP risk management on fire;

⎯  overview of the operation and maintenance practices at the Torness NPP;

⎯  assessment of the of spare parts availability for the general elements of the Torness NPP;

⎯  a plan of action to implement the results of the stress test of design decision and maintenance organization for Torness NPP in response to the accident at Fukushima Daiichi, Japan.

During the meetings with managers and specialists of the Torness NPP and EDF Energy there was presented information on the current status and future directions of this NPP activities to modernize and improve the safety of the units after the events at the Japanese Fukushima Daiichi NPP.

Inspectors checked the safety of the reactor unit at the NPP, analyzed the work of the management and the staff, fire safety, waste nuclear fuel, monitoring  of the state of the environment and etc.

There were presented preliminary results according to the survey of the NPP. Final reports on the results of inspections will be provided within three months.

For information:

Torness NPP is located in the district East Lofian 30 miles from Edinburgh and 2 miles from the small town of Dunbar on the North Sea coast, the beginning of its design and construction began was in 1980, putting into operation - in 1988. It belongs to the 2nd generation NPP with 2 reactors of the AGCR type, the  capacity is 2 x 682 electrical megawatt and the total installed capacity is 1,364 megawatt.