Nuclear
power plant distribution by type of technology
TX-11
Dispersion
of Toxic Substances
Pressure
1 Indicator
definition and unit of measurement
Total
amount of operating hours by nuclear power plants of different technologies
(unit: operating hours/yr).
2 Placement
in the framework:
5EAP:
Chapter
4: Selected target sectors, section 4.2: The energy sector, table 2: Energy,
and table 6: Programme framework for selected target sectors.
Chapter
6: Management of risks and accidents, section 6.2: Nuclear safety and radiation
protection and section 6.3: Civil protection and environmental emergencies,
table 16: Nuclear safety.
Agenda
21:
Chapter
22: Safe and environmentally-sound management of radioactive wastes.
International
conventions and agreements:
UN:
Convention on the High Seas (1958).
IAEA:
The Convention on Third Party Liability in the Field of Nuclear Energy (Paris
Convention, 1960).
Nordic
Mutual Emergency Assistance Agreement in Connection with Radiation Accidents
(1963).
Vienna
Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage (1963).
Convention
on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (1979).
Convention
on Nuclear Safety (into force in 1996).
Ranking:
Core
ranking:
11
(15%)
Policy
Relevance:
15
(2.7)
Analytical
Soundness:
22
(2.4)
Responsiveness:
20
(2.5)
Most
appropriate related state indicator:
Radioactivity
per weight or volume of matrices; soil, biological material, volume of air etc.
3 Significance
Purpose:
The
main purpose of this indicator is to represent the number of nuclear power
plants in different safety classes.
Relevance:
The
safety of a nuclear power plant depends on several aspects. Type of technology,
age and quality of construction, total amount of operating hours, competence of
the operating staff, maintenance, safety culture, etc. Two aspects have to be
considered, emissions to ambient air and water during normal operation and,
perhaps most important, the probability and magnitude of accidental releases.
Linkages
to other pressure indicators:
This
indicator is linked to TX-6: Emissions of radioactive material.
Targets:
None.
4 Methodological
description and underlying definitions
Underlying
definitions and concepts:
In
order to make this indicator a relevant measure of safety of the nuclear power
industry, the power plants have to be classified in different safety classes.
Three classes could be a reasonable amount where class 1 represents the safest
plants e.g. - best possible construction, best available safety system, regular
maintenance done by qualified personnel etc. - and class 3 represents the
plants with the highest risk of incidents e.g. - defective construction, lack
of maintenance, safety system and qualified personnel.
Measurement
methods:
This
indicator will be the result of surveys on operating hour statistics and
information on plants in each safety class.
Limitations
of the indicator:
Different
types of technologies are not a clear-cut basis for safety classification. At
the end, only resources put into safety programmes and maintenance is a
trustworthy basis for such a classification.
Alternative
definitions:
Nuclear
power plant distribution by ambition and allocated resources for safety and
maintenance programmes.
