Activities of ATENA
February, 2022
Atomic Energy Association(ATENA)

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Role of ATENA in the nuclear industry

1[Mission]
ATENA addresses common technical issues related to nuclear safety, makes
decisions on introducing voluntary and effective safety measures while effectively
utilizing the knowledge and resources of the entire nuclear industry, andencourages utilities to implement these measures to actual site operations,
thereby raising the level of safety at nuclear power stations even higher.
[Role]JANSI: Japan Nuclear Safety Institute, FEPC: Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan, JEMA: The Japan Electrical Manufacturers’ Association,CRIEPI: Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry, NRRC: Nuclear Risk Research Center, JAIF: Japan Atomic Industrial Forum, Inc.
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ATENA’s approach to common technical issues
ATENA is to address the following common issues based on lessons learned fromthe Fukushima Daiichi Accident and subsequent efforts for safety improvement
by utilities.
As of January 2022, ATENA identifies 20 issues as prioritized themes and is goingto review them in technical perspective.

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List of common technical issues (themes) (as of January 2021)•3

ATENA selects the prioritized common issues expected to improve the safety at nuclear power
stations effectively, and addresses to issues raised by the regulatory authority as required.

Technical issue① Proactively
utilize newknowledge andadvanced
technologies

Theme
Develop a new guideline for Cyber security

Develop a new guideline to adopt measures for common cause failures in digital safety protection system
Pursue efficient and effective operation with appropriate consideration of importance classification of SA equipment
Establishment of improvement measure for “Open Phase Condition”
Establishment of proper management of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) related to the instrumentation and control system
Propose back-fit processes with appropriate consideration of safety significanceDevelop the advanced methodology of soil liquefaction assessment
Response to the findings from the investigation and analysis of the TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station Accident② Preparethoroughly forvarious
external events【Completed】 Review of the methodology to assess “design basis ground motion formulated without specifying seismic sources”
Establish evaluation method to ensure conformance of base isolated buildings housing SA equipment to technical standards

Establish optimized approach to natural events with significant uncertainty
Establish reasonable treatment process when updating design basis ground motion (Ss) through new knowledge③ Establish aframework
which promotes
voluntary efforts
for safety
improvement

Develop industry’s guide documents for specific procedure to fulfill the NRA’s inspection reform④ Others

Establishment of further improvement measures for Emergency Diesel Generators(EDG) reliability by analyzing operating experience

Establish guideline for responding to incompatibility of manufacturers’ or component suppliers’ productInitiative of aging management for safe long-term operation
Propose incentive mechanism to enhance licensees’ voluntary efforts of improving nuclear safety
Propose more efficient procedures of operation and maintenance of equipment newly installed to conform new regulatory
requirement

Review and improve the current scheme of “Emergency Action Level”
Further Investigation Related to the Intergranular Cracking on Stainless Steel Piping of PWR Primary System
Cooperation to NRA’s initiative of continuously improving the regulatory standards Copyrightby reflecting
review
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Published technical reports•ATENA compiles and publishes safety measures related to common technicalissues (themes) as technical reports.
FY 2019〇Improvement Measures Proposed by Assessing Trends in Emergency
Diesel Generator Malfunctions in Domestic Nuclear Power Plants○Guideline Regarding Performance Indicators (PI) Used in Nuclear
Regulatory Inspections○Voluntary Guide on Introducing Cybersecurity Measures at Nuclear
Power Plants

Publication date(June 21, 2019)[Rev. 1, November 7, 2019](June 28, 2019)(March 12, 2020)

FY 2020○Guideline on the implementation of Licensee Inspections○Maintenance Guideline for Long-term Plant Shutdown○Guideline on Assessing Design Obsolescence○Discontinued Product Management Guideline○Design Guideline for the Base-Isolated Buildings Housing Severe
Accident Equipment〇Guideline for Deterrence and Adequate Response to Fraudulent Activity
by Manufacturer/Component Supplier○Technical Requirements for Mitigation Measures of Software Common
Cause Failures of Digital Safety Protection System

Publication date(July 31, 2020)(September 25, 2020)(September 25, 2020)(September 25, 2020)(September 29, 2020)(October 28, 2020)(December 24, 2020)

To be published〇Report on the advancement of liquefaction evaluation methods（temporary name）○Report of knowledge build-up related to aging for safe long-term operation（temporary name）○Position Paper Related to the electromagnetic compatibility（temporaryname）
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5Activities in FY 2021

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6ATENA’s Activity Policy①Efforts for solving the common technical issues

７～11•

ATENA shall address the common technical issues such as utilization of latest
knowledge and technology and review them with its expertise in order toachieve the effective safety improvement in NPPs. The result of the review shallbe assembled and published as technical reports if necessary.

•ATENA shall formulate effective safety measures independently of variedinterests among utilities and require utilities to incorporate them into theiractual activities even in case there are some utilities who do not agree on themeasures. ATENA shall also check and publish the status of utilities’implementation.

②Proactive dialogue with NRA

12•

ATENA shall be a responsible body to handle regulatory issues common toutilities.

•ATENA shall engage in dialogue with NRA as a representative of the industry.

③Communication with various stakeholders

13・ATENA shall release information on its activities to the public and incorporate
feedback from the public to improve its activities.
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①Efforts for solving the common technical issues

Priority Initiatives to Improve Safety7Considering the current situation and various discussions being held in Japan and abroad, the following
three areas are being addressed as priority initiatives which effectively improve the nuclear safety.
①

Proper implementation of new digital technology•②

Continuous efforts against natural events•③

As digital technology develops in general industries and is adopted widely by society, existing nuclear
power plants have also been implementing digital technology in safety significant systems. In response,the industry is commonly tackling new challenges such as cyberattacks and electromagnetic
compatibility.

Robust safety measures with sufficient conservativeness have been implemented in each site in
response to the new regulatory requirements. Even in such situations, as natural events have generalcharacteristics of accompanying significant uncertainty, ATENA leads utilities’ efforts of increasing
safety beyond the regulatory requirement framework taking into account the lessons learned in theFukushima Daiichi Accident.

Aging degradation management for safe long-term operation•ATENA leads utilities’ efforts of working on aging degradation management, as a challenge sharedacross the industry, so as to assure the safe, long-term operation of existing reactors after theirrestart of operation in conformance with the new regulatory requirements.

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①Efforts for solving the common technical issues

Proper implementation of new digital technology (EMC)•Countermeasures for electromagnetic noise, which is becoming a common problem
among operators as digital technologies grow more prevalent in nuclear power plants, arebeing discussed in Japan, referencing the latest standards in the US and Europe.

<Technical discussions action items>•Conduction noise(Signal line)
Investigating the latest technicalRadiation noise
developments in regulations and(Power line)
standards in the US and Europe forpreventing weak electrical waves from
Conduction noise
affecting digital equipment

System AEMC

<Anticipated deliverables>•Create a report on the nuclear powerindustry’s policy for addressing EMC•

Keep on exchanging opinions withthe NRA on industry initiatives

Emitting electromagneticnoise(risk that the systems
may negatively impact
each other)

System B
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①Efforts for solving the common technical issues

Initiative of aging management for safe long-term operation•

Knowledge about aging degradation needs to continuously updated and build-up to keepon using nuclear power while maintaining safety at a high standard.

<Technical discussions action items>•

Closely study the latest information on
nuclear power plants domestic andabroad, including that of the US which
has more than 50-years of operating
experience and has multiple plants tobe operated for 80 years, then identify
issues that need to be investigatedfurther<Anticipated deliverables>•Create a report on matters thatneed to be research further.
Oversight progress and output ofwhole range of activities bycooperation with such as
academia and CRIEPI.

Start ofoperationOperationyears

Takahama Unit 1

1974

47 years

Takahama Unit 2

1975

46 years

Mihama Unit 3

1976

45 years

Tokai Daini1978

43 years

Sendai Unit 1

1984

37 years

・・・・・・・・・

Reflect overseas knowledge

Operating plants in the US（40 – 50 years）41 units （50 year + ）８ units

Plants that have been approved for an 80-year
operational service life
Turkey Point-3&4
6 unitsPeach Bottom-2&3, Surry-1&2
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9①Efforts for solving the common technical issues

10Pursue efficient and effective operation with appropriate considerationof importance classification of SA equipment•Safety improvement initiatives that optimizes for the entire plant are being discussed.
This takes into consideration severe accident response equipment (SA equipment)
and specialized safety facility（SSF） as additional back-ups in case the plant enters
LCO, i.e., safety critical design basis equipment (DB equipment) failure or SAequipment failure.

<Technical discussions action items>•Discuss adding SA equipment and specialized
safety facilities as back-ups for DB equipment
and SA equipment<Anticipated deliverables>••

ATENA is putting together a guide thatallows NRA reviews to be conductedefficiently when operators apply to revise
operational safety programs
Open discussion will be held with the NRA
regarding the guide【Current】“Copyright of photos: Kansai Electric Power Co.”DB equipment (power supply)

Check on thesoundness of theremaining DG unit
when entering LCO【Future】
DB equipment (power supply)

SA equipment

SSF

恒設
電源
Check the soundness of SA equipment
and SSF in addition to the remaining
DG unit when entering LCO
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①Efforts for solving the common technical issues

Follow-up activities in FY2021

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Voluntary Guide on Introducing Cybersecurity Measures at Nuclear Power Plants

Posted on Website

・ATENA had operators submit their safety measures plan and revise parts of it to ensure
measures are more effective.
・ATENA confirmed and assessed the implementation status of safety measures.

April 9thImprovement Measures Proposed by Assessing Trends in Emergency Diesel Generator
Malfunctions in Domestic Nuclear Power Plants

・The number of emergency diesel generator malfunctions due to human error was 0 in FY2020
across all operators, at a low level similarly to FY2019. It was confirmed that each operator
was continuing activities to increase performance quality and reduce the number ofmalfunctions.

June 24th

Maintenance Guideline for Long-term Plant Shutdown・ATENA confirmed that operators’ maintenance plans for long-term shutdown reflected
recommendations in the ATENA guideline.

July 30th

Technical Requirements for Mitigation Measures of Software Common Cause Failures ofDigital Safety Protection System
・ATENA summarized operator reports on how operators are implementing safety measures inthe first half of FY2021.
（Progress in operator safety measures will be checked periodically)

November
29th

Guideline for Deterrence and Adequate Response to Fraudulent Activity by
Manufacturer/Component Supplier・ATENA reviewed operator reports on the status of fraud countermeasures implemented by
Novemberoperators based on the ATENA guide, and found that the fraud deterrence Copyrightmeasures
were© Atomic Energy Association All Rights Reserved.29th
being implemented adequately according to the guide.

②Dialogues with the regulatory authority••

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ATENA shall be responsible in handling of common regulatory issues.
ATENA shall engage in dialogues with the regulatory authority on behalf of thenuclear industry.

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③Communication with various stakeholders＜Forum in session＞〇Hosted the ATENA Forum・Held in February every year as a public event
・In the 2021 Forum, had panelists discuss the safety improvement
activities each organization is implementing〇Presented ATENA activities in academic conference・Conference of the Japan Society of Maintenology (July 2021)
・Planning session of the Fall Meeting of the Atomic Energy Society ofJapan (AESJ) (September 2021)〇Interviewed by newspapers and magazines
・Interview with the ATENA CEO was published in the Denki Shimbun (Electric Industry’sNewspaper) (March and July 2021)
・ An interview with the ATENA CEO was published in the “Energy for the Future” journal〇Meetings with executives of organization overseas
・Met online with the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) (August 2021)
・Met online with the Électricité de France (EDF) (July 2021)
・Met online with the Nuclear Energy Agency, Organisation for Economic Co-operationand Development (OECD/NEA）(May and November 2021)

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