If the TSO believes there is a requirement for the nuclear units to be able to operate flexibly, then the requirements should be discussed with the NPP developer very early in the design stage, so it can be considered fully in the design and safety assessment of the plant.

As a result of the concern about global warming, and also because of concern about the future cost and availability of fossil fuels, the governments in many Member States are considering ways of reducing the carbon dioxide emissions arising from electricity generation. This has resulted in renewed interest in building NPPs, and also plans to increase the use of other forms of generation that have lower or zero emissions of carbon dioxide. In a number of Member States this has resulted in rapid growth in the number of wind turbines, and in future may cause an increase in other generating technologies such as solar photovoltaic or solar thermal generation, wave power, or tidal power. A common characteristic of these forms of generation is the variability and limited predictability of their output. One effect of the growth of these forms of renewable generation is to increase the need for other generating units to operate flexibly, to assist in balancing generation with demand where there are large variations in the output from renewable generation. This may increase the need for nuclear units to be able to load follow. The TSO should consider this future change in generating technology in the assessment of the need for flexible operation.

3.6. DEVELOPMENT AND CONSTRUCTION TIME

Historically, the construction time of many NPPs had been significantly longer than the construction time of conventional fossil fuel power stations. Developments in construction techniques and improved project management techniques have reduced the planned construction time of the latest NPP designs, but the construction time is still longer than can be achieved with modern fossil fuel alternatives, such as combined cycle gas turbines. In addition, several years will be required for selection, assessment and approval of the location of the site for the NPP, assessment of the available designs, and to obtain the approval of the nuclear regulatory body as discussed in Section 3.7, before construction can start. Hence the overall length of the full development cycle, from the first proposal to build the NPP until it enters commercial service is likely to be more than 10 years, which is considerably longer than for fossil fuel plant. As a consequence, conditions on the transmission system may change significantly while the NPP is being planned and then constructed. Hence grid system studies related to the NPP may need to be re-assessed several times before the NPP enters service.

3.7. NUCLEAR LICENSING REQUIREMENTS

In all Member States that have operating NPPs, it is necessary for the NPP operator to apply to that country’s nuclear regulatory authority for a license or licences. Historically, the licensing had been done in two phases with first a construction license, which is required before construction can start, and the second a license for operation. The evolving issues surrounding the operational license added delays and uncertainties. As a result, the application for a NPP construction license has been streamlined in many Member State to a single step process for both construction and operating licenses.

The first step towards the beginning construction of a NPP is for the NPP developer to prepare an application for a construction license for the specific design and location planned. The typical duration for a regulatory review for a fully developed and completed application is two years after the application has been received. If the information provided with the application is not fully developed, then the process is likely to take longer. The application is essentially a preliminary safety analysis of the plant addressing the following:

—The specific number, type, and thermal power level of the facilities, for which the site will be used;

—A description and safety assessment of the site with an analysis and evaluation of the major structures, systems, and components of the facility that bear significantly on the acceptability of the site under the radiological consequence evaluation;

—The electrical grid to which the plant will be connected, its reliability and capability to ensure the safety of the plant;

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