In India, routine and periodic safety reviews of nuclear facilities are carried out through a multitiered hierarchy of committees at the plant level, the operating organization level and the regulatory body level. In 1993, it was decided by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB, the regulatory body) that, as a policy, authorization for operation of nuclear power plants (NPPs) shall have a validity period of 5 years, after which this authorization will have to be renewed. NPPs have to carry out a self-assessment according to an established procedure, prepare a Safety Assessment Report for Renewal of Authorization (SARRA) and submit it to the AERB for review. The procedure defines the objectives of the report and gives guidelines on the required review of the self-assessment of the operational plant safety. The paper discusses the objectives, the elements of the SARRA review, the review process, the SARRA review carried out in 1993-1994, the basis for acceptability of continued plant operation, and the lessons learned for future periodic safety reviews in India and for exchange of operating experience feedback.
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