Development of a framework for establishment of risk-informed safety goals for nuclear power plants operation in the UAE

Abstract

A framework for establishment of risk-informed safety goals for nuclear power plants (NPPs) operations in the UAE was developed in this study. The current regulatory circumstance to the safety goals in the UAE was addressed as well. Representative parameters related to the core integrity (Level 1 PSA) and containment integrity (Level 2 PSA) are used as surrogate measures, Core Damage Frequency (CDF) for cancer (latent) fatality and Large Early Release Frequency (LERF) for early (prompt) fatality, for risk-informed safety goals. Under this framework a conservative evaluation of risk-informed safety goals was performed on the basis of conservative assumptions and data which were obtained and/or derived from the PSA results of APR-1400, the same type of the Barakah NPPs which are under construction in the UAE, and public health risk assessments. The current safety targets specified in the regulatory guideline (FANR-RG-004) in the UAE were examined to be appropriately determined with sufficient conservatism from the evaluation results. Limitations of the study and recommendations for appropriate applications of the risk-informed safety goals were provided as well.