Executive summary
Date(s) of inspection: March 2023
Aim of inspection
ONR to perform a nuclear material accountancy compliance inspection, considering the arrangements for the Nuclear Material Accountancy and Control Systems (NMACS) and their implementation at the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (JET), to judge if they comply with NSR19.
The purpose of an accountancy compliance inspection is to provide assurance to ONR that the operator’s accountancy arrangements are appropriate and proportionate for the qualifying nuclear facility and that they are adequately implemented for nuclear material accountancy and control of QNM. This includes maintaining adequate operating records and accounting records, which are traceable to the accounting reports provided to the ONR and are underpinned by suitable accountancy arrangements. The purpose of this inspection was to gain evidence and enable ONR inspectors to make judgements on Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (JET)'s compliance with NSR19.
Subject(s) of inspection
- FSE 7 Nuclear Material Tracking - Rating: GREEN
- FSE 8 Data Processing and Control - Rating: GREEN
- FSE 9 Material Balance - Rating: GREEN
- NSR19 Reg03 - Declaration of basic technical characteristics - Rating: GREEN
- NSR19 Reg06 - Accountancy and control of qualifying nuclear material - Rating: GREEN
- NSR19 Reg09 - Operation of an accountancy and control plan - Rating: GREEN
- NSR19 Reg10 - Operating records - Rating: GREEN
- NSR19 Reg11 - Accounting records - Rating: GREEN
- NSR19 Reg15 - Material balance report and physical inventory listing - Rating: GREEN
Key findings, inspector's opinions and reasons for judgement made
I carried out an accountancy compliance inspection at the UKAEA Culham Centre for Fusion Energy site, material balance area (MBA) QJET. During the inspection I sought to gain assurance of the adequacy UKAEA Culham Centre for Fusion Energy system for nuclear material accountancy and control.
This inspection comprised of a review of UKAEA Culham Centre for Fusion Energy’s procedures, a plant walkdown and discussions with staff key to maintaining Nuclear Material Accountancy Control and Safeguards (NMACS) at UKAEA Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (QJET).No significant shortfalls were identified during this intervention and noting ONR guidance on inspection ratings, I consider this inspection to merit a rating of green.
I provided two pieces of advice to reduce regulatory burden; Noting that three BTC’s had been written rather than one covering the three buildings, I advised consolidation of the documents and suggested the use of KMP’s in line with NSR19. I made one good practise observation relating to the use of mock ups in training environments.
Conclusion
Based on the sample inspected, I judge that UKAEA Culham Centre for Fusion Energy are implementing their arrangements for accountancy and control of QNM in-line with regulatory expectations and are compliant with the NSR19 regulations 6, 9, 10, 11 and 15 and ONMACS FSEs 7, 8 and 9.
Furthermore, due to the additional information provided and demonstrated, I judge UKAEA Culham Centre for Fusion Energy are implementing their arrangements for accountancy and control of QNM in line with ONMACS FSEs 3, 4, 5, 6 and 10.
I did not identify any significant or minor shortfalls in compliance against NSR19 during this intervention.
I did not identify any regulatory advice for compliance against NSR19 during the intervention however I did advise on ways to reduce their administrative burden in compliance with NSR19.