[en] The 19th Pacific Basin Nuclear Conference (PBNC), held in Vancouver, August 24 - 28, 2014, was an outstanding success in all aspects. With the theme 'Fulfilling the Promise of Nuclear Technology Around the Pacific Basin in the 21st Century', it included 46 senior-level presentations, 300 technical papers from countries around the Pacific rim and others, 53 student posters and a number of exhibits from several countries. The venue of Vancouver proved attractive to the large contingent of attendees from the Asian side of the Pacific Ocean, who constituted over a third of the 600 delegates. This years conference: showcased the advancement of nuclear technology in power generation, health science, and environmental stewardship; discussed challenges facing nuclear technology; and highlighted future developments.

[en] For the Darlington refurbishment project in Canada, fatigue load consideration is a very crucial component in the analysis and design of different structures in the nuclear facilities. New and innovative structural materials having much higher ultimate tensile strength and modulus of elasticity, that are free from corrosion, should be considered along with fatigue load during the analysis and design of the nuclear refurbishment projects. The structural analysis should include beam, column and slabs, vibrating, rotating and crane supporting structures, robotic structures, pipe supports, Serapid chain and associated automated gate structures, flask supporting structures, processing unit and lidding unit support structures. (author)

[en] The development of the following principles and their rationale began during a special Chief Nuclear Engineers forum held on March 25th, 2013 in Toronto. These principles are intended to provide guidance to the Canadian Nuclear Power Industry in developing responses to the lessons learned from the Fukushima event of March 2011. These principles were accepted and signed off by the Chief Nuclear Officers of each of the three utilities in August 2013 and were presented to the CNSC at a public hearing on August 21, 2013. This document provides the underlying rationale for the principles. (author)

[en] Taiwan is a densely populated island and over 98% of its energy is imported, 16.5% of which is nuclear, in the form of materials and services. Ensuring that the most stringent nuclear safety standards are met therefore remains a priority for the government and the operator, Taiwan power Company (Taipower). There are eight nuclear power reactors in Taiwan, six of which are in operation and two are under construction. The first began operating nearly 40 years ago. For the time being the issue of whether to decommission or extend life of the operating units is also being discussed and has no conclusion yet. Nuclear energy has been a hot issue in debate over the past decades in Taiwan. Construction of Lungmen nuclear power plant, site selection of a final low-level waste disposal facility, installation of spent fuel dry storage facilities and safety of the currently operating nuclear power reactors are the issues that all Taiwanese are concerned most. In order to ensure the safety of nuclear power plant, the Atomic Energy Council (AEC) has implemented rigorous regulatory work over the past decades. After the Fukushima accident, AEC has conducted a reassessment program to re-evaluate all nuclear power plants in Taiwan, and asked Taipower to follow the technical guidelines, which ENSREG has utilized to implement stress test over nuclear power plants in Europe. In addition, AEC has invited two expert teams from OECD/NEA and ENSREG to conduct peer reviews of Taiwan's stress test national report in 2013. My presentation will focus on activities regulating safety of nuclear power programs. These will cover (A) policy of nuclear power regulation in Taiwan, (B)challenges of the Lungmen Plant, (C) post-Fukushima safety re-assessment, and (D)radioactive waste management. (author)

[en] Ontario's 2013 Long Term Energy /Plan (LTEP) takes a pragmatic approach. The plan is designed to balance the following five principles namely: Cost effectiveness, Reliability, Clean energy, Community engagement, and Emphasis on conservation and demand management before building new generation. By taking a pragmatic and flexible approach and balancing these principles, Ontario's 2013 Long Term Energy Plan builds on the foundation laid by the 2010 LTEP while also lowering the projected total system costs. The key elements of the 2013 LTEP are described in this paper by highlighting the major features of these elements. (author)

[en] Canada has been a leader in the production of medical isotopes, most notably Molybednum-99 (Mo-99) and Cobalt-60 (Co-60) used for diagnosis, prevention and treatment of disease, since the inception of the technology in the 1950s. These products have become critical components of healthcare, impacting the daily lives of millions of people around the world. The technological, political, social and commercial climate for production of these isotopes has changed dramatically over the many decades since their use began. Canada's role in assuring long-term stability of supply continues to evolve, and at Nordion we are identifying ways to meet the new and significant challenges associated with these changes. As a supplier to this global industry, Canada is presented with not only high expectations, but also unique opportunities for advancement of policy, science and technology in support of the longevity of the medical isotope and gamma sterilization industries. This paper will examine the current drivers for change in the global medical isotope supply chain, provide an overview of new and enhanced technology options, and identify the steps necessary for Canada to maintain and expand its strong position in this critical industry. (author)

[en] The purpose of this presentation is to educate the audience on best practices that have been identified for analysis, inspection, cleaning and maintenance of power plant bus duct systems. Many plant managers ignore bus duct, forgetting it is the only system critical component in the power plant that does not have redundancy. The presentation will provide first-hand insight into forty years of experience and field findings of the Nation's premier high voltage power conductor experts. Presentation topics will include case studies detailing inspection options (both online and offline), the ramifications of poorly and/or inadequately maintained bus duct systems, current trends in predictive maintenance programs, and best practices for bus duct inspection and cleaning (including insight into the newest technologies available). (author)

[en] This paper provides an overview of AREVA's latest ATRIUM fuel designs as a case study of one fuel supplier's approach to implementing continuous improvements to deliver enhanced fuel reliability, operating margin, and fuel cycle efficiency for the global Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) market. This reactor technology represents a significant fraction of the installed and pending nuclear capacity in the Pacific Basin. Maximizing the generating capacity and efficiency of the installed base of BWR plants assures these plants can remain a reliable and enduring element of a diversified energy infrastructure in each region utilizing this reactor type. (author)

[en] Safe and sustainable nuclear power production depends on strict adherence to nuclear security as a necessary prerequisite for nuclear power. This paper considers the current challenges for nuclear security, and proposes a conceptual framework to address those challenges. We identify several emerging factors that affect nuclear security: 1. Relatively high turnover rates in the nuclear workforce compared to the earlier years of the nuclear industry, when nuclear workers were more likely to have secure employment, a lifelong career at one company, and retirement on a pension plan. 2. Vulnerabilities stemming from the ubiquitous presence of modern electronics and their patterns of use by the younger workforce. 3. Modern management practices, including outsourcing and short-term contracting (which relates to number 1 above). In such a dynamic and complex environment, nuclear security personnel alone cannot effectively guarantee adequate security. We propose that one solution to this emerging situation is a distributed security model in which the components of nuclear security become the responsibility of each and every worker at a nuclear facility. To implement this model, there needs to be a refurbishment of current workforce training and mentoring practices. The paper will present an example of distributed security framework model, and how it may look in practice. (author)

[en] In 2007, the Government of Canada selected Adaptive Phased Management as Canada's plan for the long-term management of Canada's used nuclear fuel in a deep geological repository, located in an informed and willing host. The process of site selection is an important milestone in this program. The NWMO describes its approach to working collaboratively with communities which expressed interest in exploring the project, as well as Aboriginal communities in the area and other surrounding communities. The project is designed to be implemented through a long-term partnership involving the interested community, Aboriginal communities and surrounding communities working with the NWMO. (author)