Reliability and availability issues in NET

Abstract From its beginning the design work for NET is accompanied by a specific reliability and availability (R&A) programme. A basic element of this programme is the so-called Failure Modes, Effects and Critically Analysis (FMECA) with is being performed for components as well as for the overall plant. The basic lines of this programme are described and the present status of the components analyses is given. The overall plant fault tree, incorporating the recently updated components R&A data, is evaluated by using a newly introduced numerical model. As a result the most effective combination of components reliability improvements is defined and an updated set of targets for components reliability is given.