5 Jun (NucNet): Canada’s Bruce B nuclear station in Ontario has made significant progress implementing safety improvement plans, but still needs to improve in areas including the assessment of plant aging management programmes, operational experience evaluation, and maintenance activities, an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts said on 2 June 2017. The Operational Safety Review Team (Osart) reviewed efforts to address recommendations made by an Osart mission in December 2015. The IAEA said several recommendations and suggestions from the 2015 review have been fully implemented with measures that include periodic safety reviews, improvement of emergency procedures, improved materials and equipment conditions, and strict documentation modification control. The Bruce station is the world’s largest operating nuclear power plant measured by output and generates about 30% of electricity for Ontario. The site has two stations: Bruce A and Bruce B, each with four Candu reactors. The IAEA said the Bruce facility is a key part of Ontario’s long-term energy plan, with management implementing a multi-year programme to extend the working life of the reactors, which were commissioned in the 1980s.
