IAEA to review nuclear plants in India

Global nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will begin an in-depth operational safety review of two atomic power plants at Rawatbhata in northwest India Rajasthan state from Monday, the first such exercise in India after the Fukushima nuclear accident.

The Operational Safety Review Team (OSART) of IAEA will review programmes and activities essential to operational safety at units 3 and 4 of the Rajasthan Atomic Power Station (RAPS) between Monday and Nov 15.

"Basically, it is a peer review of safety status and operating practices done by a team of experts for the IAEA," S S Bajaj, chairman of Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), told Press Trust of India (PTI)

Bajaj said all nuclear plants had undergone a peer review earlier by the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO), but it is the first time that a nuclear plant is being subject to the OSART process.

Atomic Energy Commission chairman Ratan Kumar Sinha said the OSART process would give the nuclear operator insight into its operational process.

"Both OSART and WANO are independent external reviews. It is more of a confidence-building exercise as experts of 10 different nations are involved in the review process," he said.

Bajaj said a decision to invite OSART experts to other nuclear power plants will be made after studying the outcome of the process carried out at Rajasthan Atomic Power Station.