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National Nuclear Regulator building itself up to meet future challenges

21st October 2016

By: Keith Campbell

Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

  

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South Africa’s National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) is busy strengthening the country’s nuclear regulatory framework in anticipation of the planned construction of a fleet of new nuclear power stations (NPPs). “As part of strengthening our capacity, we recently launched a Centre for Nuclear Safety and Security (CNSS), housed at the University of Pretoria,” reported NNR CEO Mzubanzi Bismarck Tyobeka when he addressed the recently held First NNR Regulatory Information Conference in Pretoria.

“We are now developing a system of fines to ensure rogue operators can be brought to book,” he pointed out. “We also vigorously developed our staff. We went through a staff-building exercise.” The NNR now has 143 employees, more than three-quarters of whom have postgraduate degrees. The agency has “rigorous training initiatives”, including with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the European Union and bilaterally with various countries.

The NNR also cooperates more broadly with the IAEA and has bilateral agreements with the nuclear regulatory agencies in China, Finland, France, (South) Korea, Russia, the UK and the US. (All these regulators, except Korea, were represented at the NNR conference.) NNR staff serve on IAEA safety standards committees and have taken part in a number of IAEA Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) missions, most recently to Finland, Japan, Pakistan and Sudan.

“Very important is the issue of regulatory independence,” he stressed. This has three main aspects: political independence, financial independence and technical independence. Political independence means that the regulator is able to take regulatory decisions without political interference and give independent advice to governments and government departments. Financial independence means that the regulator always has sufficient and assured financial resources. Technical independence means that the regulator has its own, in-house, expertise.

It is to ensure technical independence that the NNR has two radio-analytical laboratories, one in Cape Town and the other in Pretoria. These allow the regulator to make its decisions on the basis of its own analyses. Apart from mines, the NNR currently oversees three locations: Eskom’s Koeberg NPP, near Cape Town; the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation’s (Necsa’s) complex, at Pelindaba, west of Pretoria; and the Vaalputs nuclear waste disposal site, in the Northern Cape (which is operated by Necsa).

The biggest current project under NNR oversight is the replacement of steam generators at the Koeberg NPP. Another programme under way at Koeberg under the aegis of the regulator is the replacement of refuelling water tanks, known as PTR tanks. Then there is the licensing of two sites where Eskom hopes to build new NPPs. In the near future, the NNR will have oversight of the replacement of the vessel head of Unit 2 at Koeberg, as well as the licensing of the spent fuel dry storage facility, also at Koeberg.

In the next few years, the NNR is going to be giving attention to a number of important policies and programmes. These include expanding the mandate of the NNR to include the regulation of medical radioactive sources; licensing the new NPP building projects; and staffing and making operational the CNSS. Further, the possibility of transferring the regulation of safeguards from Necsa to NNR is being explored.

“A firm foundation has been laid over the past years to put in place a regulatory framework that strengthens the NNR’s mandate,” concluded Tyobeka. To consolidate the progress made so far, the NRR will receive its first IAEA IRRS mission in the first half of December. This will review the NNR’s competence as a nuclear regulator.

Edited by Martin Zhuwakinyu
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor

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