During the week of April 23rd, 2018, the IRDP Program instructors, Mr. Mel Fields and Bob Gramm, provided training on how to conduct a Safety Analysis Report (SAR) Review; to the Romanian regulator - National Commission for Nuclear Activities Control (CNCAN) in Bucharest, Romania. In addition to CNCAN staff, representatives from the Nuclearelectrica – licensee holder for Cernavoda NPP Units 1 and 2; CITON staff (Centre of Technology and Engineering for Nuclear Projects) – a nuclear power plant (NPP) design and engineering company; and the University of Politechnics Bucharest (UPB), participated in the week-long training course.
The course provided participants with an overview of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) licensing approach to issue either a Construction Permit or an Operating License for a NPP, as well as basic concepts associated with NPP safety and regulation. The workshop focused on the applicable licensing process and guidance documents (Regulatory Guides and the Standard Review Plan) used by the USNRC to grant a Construction Permit for an NPP as well as the relevant IAEA guidance addressing the same topic. In addition to the classroom lecture and group discussions, the instructors led group exercises that helped strengthen participants’ understanding and knowledge of the content and application of the USNRC licensing guidance documents; and the content of example licensing documents prepared by both the licensee (Safety Analysis Report) and the regulator (Request for Additional Information and Safety Evaluation Report). The workshop also covered other related licensing activities and topics related to regulatory body staffing and infrastructure.
The workshop format was kept informal and flexible to allow for questions and answers throughout the sessions, which helped participants to fully understand each topic. During the workshop, the instructors provided illustrative examples from USNRC experiences. The participants actively engaged in the discussions, worked collaboratively with their colleagues during the group exercises, and identified potential CNCAN licensing review process enhancements.