US regulator certifies Rolls-Royce I&C system

Friday, 5 December 2014

Rolls-Royce's Spinline modular digital instrumentation and control (I&C) platform has been approved for use in US nuclear power plants by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

Rolls-Royce claims the Spinline platform "enables power utilities to enhance nuclear safety and operational efficiency over the lifetime of their plant." The company says the technology "underpins the highest rating, Class 1E I&C systems ... both in new nuclear power plants and for modernization of existing safety I&C systems in established plants."

The Spinline platform has evolved from the first digital integrated protection system developed by Rolls-Royce, which it says was the first safety digital I&C technology installed worldwide in 1984 at unit 2 of the Paluel plant in France.

Remarking on certification of the platform by the NRC, Rolls-Royce's technical director of I&C Jean-Michel Palaric said, "More than 10,000 pages of documentation had to be produced covering how the technology works, its qualification and related processes, prior to formal certification being issued."

Rolls-Royce's president of I&C Eric Blanc said, "This certification marks a significant milestone in the 40-year history of our market-leading safety I&C technology platform. Our customers have already chosen Spinline technology for 76 pressurized water reactors and Russian-designed VVER reactors worldwide."

He added, "Receiving US certification now opens the door for us to work with nuclear utility customers in North America and further across the world."

Rolls-Royce's Spinline technology was used in the refurbishment of the I&C system at the Dukovany nuclear power plant in Czech Republic, a project completed in 2009. EDF and Areva also selected the platform in 2011 for the modernization of the I&C systems at twenty 1300-MWe pressurized water reactors in France. In May this year, Fortum chose Spinline for the modernization of the I&C systems of two VVER units in Loviisa, Finland.

Researched and written
by World Nuclear News