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The nuclear industry is enjoying a rebirth worldwide, driven by the rising cost of competing fuels, as well as increasing government controls on carbon emissions. While manufacturers are developing simpler, more cost effective new reactor designs, owners of existing plants are extending the life of the plants and renewing their operating licenses. With many plants approaching 40 years of service, bringing new life to this older equipment brings new challenges, including the availability of replacement parts, which must be certified for use in critical safety-related applications.
In the past, nuclear power plants procured parts and equipment for safety-related items from approved nuclear vendors. With the slowdown in the nuclear industry for many years, most of these vendors dropped their nuclear QA program, resulting in parts that cannot be used in those applications directly. Instead, plant owners look to vendors who qualify, or “dedicate,” commercial parts by verifying that they satisfy the critical requirements for the specific safety-related application. This involves materials testing to verify composition, dimensions, and performance. The M&P Lab can help since we offer a full range of laboratory testing capabilities - mechanical, electrical, chemical, and thermal – and have experience in the dedication testing required on a wide range of both metallic and non-metallic parts. In addition, our comprehensive quality assurance program is in compliance with 10 CFR 50 Appendix B, as required by the nuclear utility industry. |
