Analysis on the Nuclear Safety Supervision Mode of the World’s Major Nuclear Power Countries and Its Enlightenment to the Improvement of China’s Nuclear Safety Supervision Technical Support Ability

Abstract

In the view of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the decision-making of safety supervision of civil nuclear facilities needs independence. In order to deeply evaluate and review a series of issues related to the safety of civil nuclear facilities, national regulatory authorities usually need to consult independent institutions or external committees with professional capabilities. Such organizations providing technical services are called Technical Support Organizations (TSO), which can be national laboratories, research institutions or consulting units. In some cases, support from professional organizations in other countries may also be required. Most of the world’s major nuclear power countries adopt an independent nuclear safety supervision model. All along, China has continuously strengthened the construction of nuclear safety supervision capacity, and the safety supervision capacity has been gradually improved. China has established a nuclear and radiation safety supervision system, including National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA) as the decision-making department for nuclear and radiation safety supervision, six regional nuclear and radiation safety supervision stations, Nuclear and Radiation Safety Center (NSC) and other units. China has established a nuclear safety expert committee, and mainly relies on the National Nuclear and Radiation Safety Supervision Technology R & D Base (R & D Base) as the central level test, verification and R & D platform to provide consultation and technical support. The R & D base has completed the construction of some test, verification and R & D functions. China has built a series of important laboratories in the R & D base, it still has not formed R & D system. In the future, China need to improve the technical support capacity of nuclear safety supervision. In short, the independence of nuclear safety regulatory decision-making requires to enhance from institutional independence to capability independence. The independence of China’s nuclear safety regulatory authority has been basically established. In the future, it is more important to improve the regulatory capacity. Only by establishing a perfect technology R & D system can nuclear safety decision-making be based on sufficient scientific basis.