Argentinas Experience with

conducting EIA for CAREM 25

Licensing Activities
Daro Delmastro
CNEA
18th Meeting of the Technical Working Group on Advanced Technologies for LWRs
Session III (LWR) Invited Presentations by TWG-LWR Members on Small and
Modular Reactor Development, Safety and Licensing
Vienna - June 2013

CAREM 25
National Law 26566/2009
On 17th December 2009, the law declares of
national interest, inter alias, the design,
construction and start up of CAREM prototype,
establishing a special regime. CNEA was
entrusted to complete these tasks.
First, a prototype of an electrical output of about 27
MW, CAREM 25, will be constructed in order to
validate the innovation of CAREM concept and
then developed to commercial version.

CAREM -25 Distinctive Features

Integrated primary
cooling system
Primary cooling by
natural circulation

Self-pressurized
Safety systems relying
on passive features

Licensing of Nuclear Facilities

ARN is empowered to "issue regulatory standards relating to radiation
and nuclear safety, physical protection and control of use of nuclear
materials, licensing and inspection of nuclear facilities, international
safeguards and transportation of nuclear materials in all aspects
regarding nuclear and radiation safety and physical protection" as
provided in paragraph a) of Article 16 of Law N 24.804.
The Argentine regulatory standards are performance oriented: they are
not prescriptive but define compliance with security objectives. The
"how" these goals are achieved is bases on appropriate decision
making by the organization that deals with the design, construction,
commissioning, operation and decommissioning of the facility in
question, the organization must demonstrate to the Regulatory
Authority that the technical means employed meet the objectives
proposed by the standards.

CAREM 25 Licensing
In 2010 the ARN has approved a new licensing scheme for
prototype NPPs in the frame of non-routinary practice.
The aim is to ensure that CAREM Prototype reaches the
standards set forth in the applicable regulations taking into
account the peculiarities of a NPP that will be the first of the
kind.

Documents have being provided to the Regulatory Body

according to the new scheme. ARN has reviewed them and
comments and requests were made. A reviewed version
has being provided to ARN.

CAREM 25 Licensing
The different radiation sources, normal operation
discharges and dispersion were evaluated.
The annual dose in the public was estimated to
verify the fulfillment of the requirements
established by AR 3.1.2 (Restriction of Radioactive
Effluents in Nuclear Power Plants) and AR 10.1.1
(Basic Radiation Safety Standard) for the
radiological impact due to normal operation.

CAREM 25 Licensing
A level 3 Probabilistic Safety Assessment was
performed.
The effective dose in the critical group due to
accidents and the annual probability was
estimated to verify the fulfillment of the
requirements established by AR 3.1.3
(Radiological Criteria Relating to Accidents in
Nuclear Power Plants).

Argentine Radiological Criteria Relating to

Accidents in Nuclear Power Plants
One of the main goals of the nuclear regulations is to
protect the people from the hazards associated with
nuclear energy production.

Besides the deterministic analysis and associated

requirements, a risk based regulation must be fulfilled.
The argentine regulation criterion in relation with the
radiological risk associated with nuclear power plants
(NPPs) accidents is to keep this value below a
reasonable level. The target is that the increase in the
risk of death produced by the radiological consequences
of accidental conditions in a nuclear power plant shall be
lower than 10-6 per year for the critical group.

Argentine Radiological Criteria Relating to

Accidents in Nuclear Power Plants
The radiological risk related with an accidental sequence
depends on the probability of occurrence of the
accidental sequence, the effective dose and the
probability of death related with this effective dose.

The argentine regulation AR 3.1.3. establish the criteria

for the radiological risk related with accidental conditions
in nuclear power plants.

Argentine Radiological Criteria Relating to

Accidents in Nuclear Power Plants
The set of accidental sequences associated with
potential public exposures shall be identified using an
accepted methodology.
The annual probability of occurrence of each of the
identified sequences shall be calculated using event
trees and fault trees.
The failure analysis shall systematically cover al the
failures and accidental sequences that can be foreseen,
including failures combinations and beyond the design
base situations.

Argentine Radiological Criteria Relating to

Accidents in Nuclear Power Plants
The accidental sequences treatment could be simplified
by choosing an accidental sequence as representative
of a group of them. In this case the sequence with the
worst radiological consequence shall be selected and it
annual probability of occurrence shall be calculated
adding the probabilities of all the sequences of the
group.
The analysis shall consider that a safety function could
be not operable.

Argentine Radiological Criteria Relating to

Accidents in Nuclear Power Plants
The failure and accidental sequences analysis shall be
based, as far as possible, on experimental data. If this is
not possible the evaluation methods shall be
demonstrated by analytical studies.

In the evaluation of systems failure probabilities, the

failure probabilities assign to the components shall be
justified. If not justified values are available for a given
component, the regulatory authority will indicate the
value to be used.
The confidence values related to human actions shall be
justified. The complexity of the task and other factors
should be considered.

Argentine Radiological Criteria Relating to

Accidents in Nuclear Power Plants
The dose on the critical group that results from the liberation
and dispersion of radionucleids shall be calculated using
accepted methods. The meteorological conditions and their
probabilities shall be considered. No credit shall be taken for
any countermeasure (i.e. evacuation).
No accidental sequence, with radiological consequences for
the public, shall have an annual probability of occurrence that
plotted against the effective dose results in a point located in
the unacceptable region.
If number N of accidental sequences is greater than 10, the
allowed annual probability of shall be divided by N/10, in
order to keep the below 10-6 per year. overall risk.

Annual
Probability

Argentine Radiological Criteria Relating to

Accidents in Nuclear Power Plants

Unacceptable

Effective
Dose (Sv)

Post Fukushima Actions

CAREM-25 prototype
The design was reviewed considering
Fukushima experience
The following topics were considered:
Seismic requirements
Loss of heat sink
Black-out
Others

Post Fukushima Actions

Seismic Design
The design basis earthquake was
reviewed.
A risk based criteria was
used.
AR 3.10.1
AR 3.1.3

Post Fukushima Actions

Loss of heat sink and black-out
CAREM-25 is an Integrated PWR
Safety systems relying on passive features
Long grace period

Post Fukushima Actions

Loss of heat sink and black-out
CAREM-25 considers in it design base the loss of heat sink
and black-out during the grace period.
Provisions are considered to allow after the grace period
core decay heat removal using the fire extinguish system
or an autonomous system.
Provisions are considered to allow after the grace period
containment cooling using the fire extinguish system or an
autonomous system.
Provisions are considered to allow after the grace period
electrical supply to safety related systems using
autonomous generation systems.

Non Radiological Environmental Impact

Assessment
The use of the land is under the jurisdiction of the
provinces according to the last National
constitution.
The non-radiological Environmental Impact
Assessment is under the jurisdiction of the
provinces.
A provincial permit is needed for industrial
facilities.

Non Radiological Environmental Impact

Assessment
To concede this permit, the application authority of
Provincia de Buenos Aires (OPDS) requires an
Environmental Impact Assessment performed and
signed by registered professionals.
The Universidad Tecnolgica Nacional - Facultad
Regional Avellaneda (UTN-FRA) has performed
the EIA of CAREM reactor prototype.

Non Radiological Environmental Impact

Assessment
The non-radiological Environmental Impact Assessment
includes:
- An assessment of the facility construction need.
- Objective and economical benefits of the facility.

- Assessment methodology.
- Geographical location.
- Legal frame.

Non Radiological Environmental Impact

Assessment
-Characterization of the natural media
- Environmental base.
- Social and economical study, including public opinion
assessment.

- Environmental Impacts due to the normal operation of the

facility (fog, water temperature, gaseous discharges, etc.).

Non Radiological Environmental Impact

Assessment
-Potential risk assessment (fires, explosions, missiles, high
pressure equipments, gaseous toxic releases, effect of
external events like fires, earthquakes, flooding, storms,
etc).
- Environmental Management Plan requirements.

- Environmental Impact Matrix. A brief summary that allows

to rapidly individualize the relevant impacts.
- Results and recommendations.

Non Radiological Environmental Impact

Assessment
The OPDS has classified the CAREM 25 as 3rd Category
according to its Environmental complexity Level.
The Environmental Impact Assessment was presented last
year.
The OPDS has evaluated it and has published it to allow
the different stake-holders to ask questions.
The OPDS could call a no binding public hearing.

Thank You