International assessment of the stress-test of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant in Türkiye with Hungarian participation

Source: https://akkuyu.com

A nuclear safety inspector of the Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority, András Gábor Siklósi, participated in the expert mission of the European Union, which aimed to evaluate the comprehensive and transparent risk and safety assessment (so called stress test) report for the NPP under construction at the Akkuyu site. During the site visit the experts carried out walk-downs and consulted with the representatives of the Turkish nuclear regulator as well as the representatives of the Licensee in order to finalize their findings made during the years long peer review process.

Following the accidents at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in 2011, the European Council requested a comprehensive safety and risk assessment in relation to all EU nuclear power plants, which became known as "stress tests". The stress tests were carried out in the member countries of the European Union that have nuclear power plants or are building such facilities, however some countries outside the EU can ask for it on a voluntary basis, during which an international team of experts invited by ENSREG (European Nuclear Safety Regulators Group) evaluates the protection of the nuclear facilities against external hazards of natural origin (e.g.: earthquake, tsunami, extreme weather conditions, etc.) or human induced (e.g.: aircraft crash) that potentially leading to multiple loss of safety functions and requiring severe accident management. In connection with the construction of the nuclear power plant in Akkuyu, the Republic of Türkiye joined the stress test process, where the first step was the preparation of a comprehensive self-assessment based on the specifications set in the scope of the EU stress tests. During the process, the invited experts of ENSREG assessed the Turkish National Report and held numerous consultations with representatives of the Turkish authority (Nükleer Düzenleme Kurumu – NDK), the licensee of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant, and the design organizations and contractors involved in the project. The data collection process of the experts concluded with an on-site visit to Akkuyu at the end of May 2024, where the experts had the opportunity to see the status and conditions of the rooms, structures and equipment considered critical, as well as to review limited-access documents available only at the site, the examination of which was necessary to form well-founded expert opinions. The results of the peer review will be summarized by the expert group in a report, which will identify potential deviations from the relevant international frameworks (IAEA, WENRA) and from practices in the European Union, formulate recommendations for corrective actions/improvements and identifies good practices, the integration/implementation of which could also benefit other countries.

ENSREG invited András Gábor Siklósi, a nuclear safety inspector of the Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority, to the international expert group conducting the stress test peer review. The international expert work of the HAEA staff contributes both to the insurance of nuclear safety abroad and to the gathering and accumulation of professional knowledge and experience for Hungary, which is utilized in domestic regulatory activities.

In line with its previous practice, the HAEA will evaluate the experience of the stress test in Türkiye and if relevant observations/corrective actions/good practices from a domestic point of view are identified, it will integrate it into its own practice.