Equipment Reliability Based Ageing and Lifetime Management for Asco´ and Vandello´s Nuclear Power Plants

Ageing management is an important issue since the beginning of the operation of the NPPs to ensure that the design functions remain available throughout the service life of the plant. Utilities have selected different strategies to manage plant components ageing degradation, assuring that systems, structures and components important to safety remain within acceptable limits, and that procedures and personnel training remain adapted. At the same time, effective management of degradation processes is an important requirement of Safety authorities, including Nuclear Regulatory bodies. Spanish utilities developed an ageing management methodology in the earlier 90’s. In the new century, this methodology has been adapted to fit 10CFR54 requirements [1] as well as specific necessities of each plant. Although 10CFR54 is formally set for plant life extension, these requirements are a good reference for plant life management activities. In order to take advantage of synergies between different plant programmes and activities, including ageing management, maintenance rule implementation, etc... Asco´ and Vandello´s NPPs (ANAV) have performed an important effort to integrate plant activities during the last four years. The motor driving such integration is the NEI Standard Nuclear Plant Model [2] and particularly the equipment reliability process, AP-913 [3], recommendations. The paper will describe the activities performed by the plants and the support engineering companies, and the expected and achieved results during this process.