Accra, Ghana
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) International Regulatory Development Partnership (IRDP) Nuclear Power Plant Design and Construction Codes and Standards Workshop was conducted from March 25 to March 29, 2019 at the offices of the Ghana Nuclear Regulatory Authority (GNRA) in Accra, Ghana. The audience was composed of members of the GNRA regulatory staff, Ghana Standards Authority, other governmental agencies, professional organizations, and commercial sector organizations that have responsibilities in areas related to Ghana codes and standards for eventual application to Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs).
During the workshop, the IRDP instructors Mr. Bob Gramm and Mr. Gene Imbro addressed the following topics: introduction to design and construction codes and standards; an overview of pressurized water reactor technology; the use of codes and standards in the regulatory framework; the NRC regulations related to codes and standards, and its endorsement of codes and standards; the role of the NRC staff in codes and standards activities; and codes and standards related to the functional areas of Quality Assurance, Mechanical Systems and Components, Instrumentation and Control, Electrical Power Distribution Systems, and Civil/Structural encompassing primarily the areas of design and construction. There was some discussion of codes and standards relevant to the operational phase, particularly those related to periodic testing and examinations.
The workshop emphasized the importance of codes and standards when performing regulatory reviews of nuclear facilities during the design and the construction phases. Participation during the workshop was exceptional as the participants were highly engaged and posed many insightful questions to help broaden their understanding of the regulatory framework related to codes and standards, and the use of codes and standards. The participants provided positive feedback on the quality and practical usefulness of the workshop.