European Virtual Institute for Integrated Risk Management

Abstract More than three years after the first detection of thousands of “hydrogen flaws” in its Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV), the Belgian nuclear power reactors Doel 3 and Tihange 2 were restarted at the end of 2015. However – now again almost two years later – the potential problem of (hydrogen-related) cracks in the RPV and the related longer-term aging problems of the reactor are still imminent, probably more than ever. This paper briefly elaborates on some reported findings and identifies possible mechanisms and risks for further growth of these defects in the reactor pressure vessel wall. The current study shows that – despite a number of counter-arguments – there are, for instance, significant potential risks or uncertainties about process-generated hydrogen problems (e.g. originating from corrosion, radiolysis, etc). These are sufficiently grave to raise concerns about the fitness-for-service of the affected reactors, and also about similar reactors world-wide. Just one example of the latter is the finding of similar “UST-indications” in the Swiss nuclear power plants Beznau 1 (and 2). From a life-management and safety point of view, it is recommended that meticulous inspection and continuous monitoring and surveillance programs be set up and implemented when keeping these aging reactors in operation.

Nanotechnology is considered one of the key technologies of the 21st century within Europe and a Key-Enabling Technology (KET) by Horizon 2020. Standardization has been identified in H2020 as one of the innovation-support measures by bridging the gap between research and the market, and helping the fast and easy transfer of research results to the European and international market. The development of new and improved standards requires high quality technical information, creating a fundamental interdependency between the standardization and research communities. In the frame of project nanoSTAIR (GA 319092), the present paper describes the European scenario on research and standardization in nanotechnology and presents a proposal of a European strategy (nanoSTAIR) to impulse direct “pipelines” between research and standardization. In addition, strategic actions focused on integration of standardization in the R&D projects, from the early stages of the design of a future business (Project Proposal), are also described.

The paper deals with the recognized need to systematically explore trade-offs in modern among single risks in modern risk management systems. These risk trade-offs have often been downplayed as ‘side effects’ or ‘unintended consequences’ and, even more often, poorly examined, quantified, and managed. The paper proposes how to deal with the real or possible trade-offs and within a framework which covers also the emerging risks: from early notion and indications up to fully developed and recognized (mature) risks. The trade-offs have been quantified primarily by means of indicators key/safety performance indicators. The framework relies very much on the ideas proposed by IRGC, ISO 31000, Solvency directive and other recognized concepts and takes practical examples from the running EU project iNTeg-Risk.