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Hinkley Point C – OD7 Board Level intervention

  • Site: Hinkley Point C
  • IR number: 21-050
  • Date: March 2022
  • LC numbers: 17

Executive summary

Purpose of Intervention

The purpose of this intervention was to gain assurance that the Board of Directors / senior level of NNB Generation Company (HPC) Limited (NNB GenCo) are maintaining an appropriate focus on safety and security, and to verify that there is no undue influence by the parent body, NNB Holding Company (HPC) Limited (NNB HoldCo), that could negatively impact safety or security.

Interventions Carried Out by ONR

Licence Condition 17 (Management Systems) requires NNB GenCo to establish and implement management systems which give due priority to safety. As part of these nuclear safety prioritised management systems ONR expects NNB GenCo to ‘make and implement adequate quality management arrangements in respect of all matters which may affect safety’.

The intervention consisted of the following three key activities:

  • a desktop review of documentation and arrangements;
  • observation of the March 2022 NNB GenCo Board meeting; and
  • a series of targeted interviews with NNB GenCo Board members.

Explanation of Judgement if Safety System Not Judged to be Adequate

N/A as this was not a safety systems inspection.

Key Findings, Inspector's Opinions and Reasons for Judgements Made

I found the following:

  • the relevant management arrangements, including underpinning committees, are in-place to support the effectiveness of the NNB GenCo Board and the overall governance;
  • information provided to NNB GenCo Board is to the right quality and the information is current;
  • there is appropriate balance of skills, backgrounds and experience that bring the appropriate knowledge to the NNB GenCo Board, providing constructive challenge in achieving the right outcomes for safety and security;
  • appropriate nuclear expertise resides within the NNB GenCo Board members, in particular the Executive Directors;
  • NNB GenCo Board’s discussions and deliberations promote open debate and constructive discussion while all directors have appropriate timely information for such discussions to take place; and
  • NNB GenCo Board is sufficiently dealing with external factors, which have the potential to impact safety or to apply undue influence on its activities.

Conclusion of Intervention

Overall, based upon the judgements described above, I have concluded that an inspection rating of GREEN is appropriate for Licence Condition 17 – Management Systems.