Single PWR is only commercial reactor in country
The operator of the Borssele nuclear power plant in the Netherlands continues to demonstrate a commitment to its operational safety and has improved the engagement of workers through initiatives to achieve excellence in operational performance, an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts said.
The Operational Safety Review Team (Osart) said following a recent mission to the facility that the plant had also improved arrangements to address improper behaviours and resolve radiological field deficiencies.
The Osart team said the plant should strengthen its programmes for system health monitoring and obsolescence to minimise the potential risk of degradation of plant systems and components; improve provisions for protective actions in an emergency; and strengthen radiation protection practices for contamination control, dose planning and the control of radioactive sources.
Borssele, operated by Elektriciteits-Produktiemaatschappij Zuid-Nederland (EPZ), is a single unit pressurised water reactor with a net electrical output of 482 MW.
It began commercial operation in 1973 and has received approval to extend operation to 2033. EPZ is now planning for a further extension to 2054.
Borssele, on the coast roughly 165 km south of Amsterdam, is the Netherlands’ only commercial nuclear plant. Of the total electricity generation in the country, Borssele contributes 3.2%.
Recent reports in the Netherlands have said the government will back plans for the construction of four new large-scale nuclear power reactors and will more than triple the government funds earmarked for the new build programme from €4.5bn to €14bn ($4.9bn to $15.2 bn).
