Implementation of Regulatory Rules on Fitness-for-Service for Nuclear Power Plants in Japan

A set of new regulatory rules on nuclear power plants have been implemented in Japan effective October 1, 2003, in order to conduct the Inservice Inspection (ISI) effectively and to examine fitness-for-service properly. The new regulation utilizes the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineer (JSME) Codes on fitness-for-service for nuclear power plants. The rules are applied for the ISIs and for evaluation of structural integrity of the class 1 components and the core shrouds with flaws. Additional components will be subjected to the structural integrity examination, in accordance with the further development of the codes and with establishment of the performance demonstration system for non-destructive testing. Endorsement of other codes and standards are foreseen after technical review by the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA) of Japan. This new regulatory process, which utilizes the consensus codes and standards established by academic/public societies, would allow the NISA to accommodate recent technical progress in a more timely manner.Copyright © 2004 by ASME