US nuclear operators, driven by the need to reduce costs and improve reliability, have begun to announce major safety-related upgrades to digital instrumentation and controls at reactors, saying the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission has made changes that have increased confidence such upgrades can be successfully licensed. A series of major digital I&C upgrades are planned for US nuclear plants in the next five years, corresponding to investments to extend the lifetimes of such reactors beyond the 60 years for which most are licensed to operate.
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