18 Mar (NucNet): The US fleet of 99 commercial nuclear reactors operated at record high levels of safety and reliability in 2015, according to new data released by the World Association of Nuclear Operators (Wano) and the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (Inpo), according to the Washington-based Nuclear Energy Institute. The NEI said indicators used to track nuclear plant performance against 2015 industry goals show that, as a group, US nuclear power plants met or exceeded those goals while achieving a record-high capability factor. The NEI said US facilities operated at a median capability factor of 92.2 percent, according to Wano data. This is the highest capability factor achieved by the industry to date, exceeding the goal set by Inpo for 2015. Capability factor measures the amount of time a plant is online and producing electricity. A high capability denotes that a plant is successful in reducing unplanned outages and completing scheduled work effectively during planned outages. Safety system performance was 98 percent for 2015, also the highest on record, the NEI said. The three principal backup safety systems monitored by this indicator are two main cooling systems and backup power supplies used to respond in the event of unusual situations. Each system at a plant has an availability goal just shy of 100 percent due to “diligent maintenance and testing”. The NEI said 79 percent of US reactors met their goal for reducing unplanned automatic or manual reactor shutdowns in 2015, the NEI said. Details online: http://bit.ly/1R43Tyd
