WANO Formation, Organizational Structure and Functioning
WANO formation, organizational structure and functioning
It was founded in Three Mile Island, in USA in 1979. After the explosion at Chernobyl, and following the others incidents in different nuclear power plants, the idea of establishing a close cooperation was formulated among operators of nuclear power plants, in order to help one another, by learning from each other’s mistakes and to do everything possible, so that to operate the nuclear power plants all over the world safely with reliability.
The World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) was founded on the basis of this aim in 1989.
The aim this non-profit organization which deals exclusively with professional questions was formulated the following way:
“…to lift the operation of nuclear power plants to a maximum higher level of safety and reliability, using the exchange of information between the members, by helping them to remain in contact with each other, comparing their experience and results, and applying one another’s good practices.”
Nowadays, we find among the members of WANO, operating nuclear power plants from all over the world, and many nuclear power plants in construction and under the decommissioning process as well. Paks NNP Ltd. has been an active member of WANO since Its creation in 1989. WANO functions on a regional basis. The members belong to a regional centre depending on geographical considerations, but the operated reactor design is also taken on account, to connect a member to a regional centre. The four regional centres are the following: Atlanta, Paris, Moscow, and Tokyo, whose activities are coordinated by the Coordinating Centre situated in London.
WANO organizational structure
The Regional Governing Board is the decision making organ for the regions, and has a chairman or chairwoman. Every country of a region has got at least one representative to the Regional Governing Council and can have more representatives proportionally to the number of its nuclear power plants. The Governing Council of WANO is consisted of one elected President and two representatives from each Regional Governing Council. It functions the same way like the Regional Governing Board, but the overall questions of the World Association are put on its agenda.
On top of WANO there’s a President elected for two years. This is rather an informal function, and a well-known top manager from another region can occupy this post.
The real management and the decision making are the duties of the mentioned Governing Council of WANO and Its President. The World Association highest organ is the General Assembly which gathers together every two years, and was already organized by the Moscow region in May1997 in Prague, then in Budapest in 2005. This is a unique meeting of this kind, as operators of all nuclear power plants from all over the world are represented by their top managers. During the meeting, the General Assembly of the makes strategic decisions and elects the World Association’s managers and managing bodies for the next two years.
Cooperation between WANO and Paks NPP Ltd
Paks NPP Ltd joined the World federation in 1989 following its creation.
Since its creation, one of the World Association’s important Mission is, to insure a cooperation forum among operators of nuclear power plants all over the world with, the aim of increasing the reliability and safety during the period of use of the nuclear energy.
After joining WANO, the Paks NNP has accepted the objectives of WANO, and considers them as its own objectives. Paks NPP is working hardly to take an active part in the process.
Paks NPP is represented in the Moscow Governing Board (MC) by its top Manager who is the plant’s Safety Manager. This Governing Board has 4 or 5 meetings a year to determine tasks for the future. At the beginning of the 1990s, the representative of Paks NPP in the Moscow Governing Board occupied the post of the President of this Board, which means he was a member of the World Association Governing Council as well.
There were some employees of Paks NPP who already were representatives at the Moscow Centre of WANO and, at WANO Coordinating Centre in London for 2 or 3 years mission periods.
Paks NPP contributes to the following professional programmes of WANO:
Making the use of operating experience:
- Reports on events made by the members of WANO are systematically worked up and
Analysed by Paks NPP and measures are taken to avoid similar events.
- Paks NPP makes a report to inform the power plants members of WANO about
Any significant event.
- There is a direct exchange of particulars and experience between the power plants in a
Form of question and answer relating to certain professional problems or questions.
Paks NPP takes part in the Partner’s Investigation Programme (investigations made by the partner power plants):
- WANO regularly performs investigations at Paks NPP. The aim of WANO Partner’s Investigation Programme is to give to its members during it the possibility of comparing their own activities with the best international experience, through an external, impartial and thoroughly conducted investigation made by an investigating team consisted of international experts.
- After the creation of WANO in 1989, its first Partner’s Investigation Programme was performed in Paks in 1992, and the resit investigation was performed in 1995.
- By the initiative of the Moscow Centre of WANO, Paks NPP offered to submit itself to another Partner’s Investigation Programme in 2005. This investigation was performed in November 2005, and the resit investigation was made in February 2008.
- The experts of the Paks NPP often take part in investigations of others power plants abroad when they are called by WANO to do so. During the last 15 years, the experts of the Paks NPP took part in more than 20 similar investigations. WANO often asks for the services of experienced experts of the Paks NNP, which reflects its positive opinion concerning the Paks NPP.
Professional and Technical Improvement Programme
Paks NPP organizes working meetings, seminars, meetings for experts, and courses within WANO framework, or takes part in such activities on the basis of an invitation.
Technical assistance and exchange of information
- Paks NPP delivers information to the WANO performance monitoring system, and makes use of the experience furnished by the monitoring data.
- Paks NPP receives missions for assistance when it’s needed, for exchange of experience.
- Paks NPP regularly looks over the international positive experience in operation then
makes the use of it and observes WANO directives.