National Atomic Energy Agency

– The PAA is preparing to carry out tasks related to the oversight of the construction and operation of Poland's first nuclear power plant. For us, the key issues are nuclear safety and radiation protection of the facility – emphasizes Andrzej Głowacki, President of the Agency.

In the animation, we present the elements of the power plant that are particularly important from the point of view of a nuclear regulator. We also point out and explain the fundamental safety functions applicable to each nuclear power plant. We also familiarize our viewers with the protective barriers in a nuclear reactor.

Before the state investor – the company Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe –  starts construction in Pomerania, it needs to obtain a number of licenses from the President of the National Atomic Energy Agency. The first is a construction license.

– The role of nuclear oversight in the implementation of the Polish Nuclear Power Programme is very important – Andrzej Głowacki points out. – The PAA supervises activities related to the construction, commissioning, operation and, in the future, decommissioning of the nuclear power plant in terms of nuclear safety. The Agency will be engaged at all stages of the life-cycle of this project.

The first step to obtain a license from the President of the PAA is an application that the investor will submit to the Agency together with all the documentation.

–  For us, this means the need for meticulous verification of thousands of pages of complex design documentation in terms of nuclear safety, radiation protection and physical protection. We will also check compliance with Polish and international standards and regulations. In the case of a license for the construction of a nuclear facility, the PAA has two years for this verification. We will be ultimately responsible for carrying out an independent regulatory assessment - says Andrzej Głowacki. At the same time, the President of the PAA emphasizes that it is the investor and operator who are responsible for the safe implementation of the entire investment process, and then the subsequent safe operation of the nuclear power plant.

What will PAA experts pay attention to when analyzing documentation and then overseeing the implementation of the investment? These are all issues related to safety. A nuclear power plant is a complex of buildings and many systems. Some of them have systems, structures or components that are particularly important for nuclear safety. The task of the Agency's experts will be to check whether these systems, structures and components fulfill their functions and whether they are designed and manufactured in accordance with rigorous safety requirements.

So what does a nuclear power plant look like through the eyes of the regulator? We invite you to take a virtual walk around this facility together with PAA experts.