The Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (DSA) was notified on January 20, 2025, of a new situation at the wet storage facility for spent fuel, Fuel Storage Pond (FSP) at the Halden nuclear site.
DSA initiated an inspection of IFE on January 21, and the inspection was concluded on February 13. During this inspection, DSA has evaluated the licensee's compliance with all relevant requirements in the regulations under our authority. The report from the inspection is now published on dsa.no(in Norwegian).
–The main finding from the inspection is that the situation at the facility is more clarified than initially thought when IFE notified DSA on January 20. IFE has provided information and made assessments of the situation which all together indicate that the risk is lower than initially assumed. Simultaneously, our assessment indicates that the underlying issues that caused this situation persist and are both serious and ongoing. Therefore, IFE must take appropriate measures to improve the storage conditions, says Ingeborg Mork-Knutsen, Acting Department Director at DSA.
During the inspection, DSA followed IFE's work to assess and follow-up the situation at the wet storage facility. IFE demonstrated transparency and cooperation in providing the requested information. DSA's main findings after the inspection confirmed that the underlying causes of deterioration in the wet storage facility are due to insufficiencies in IFE's safety assessments, aging management, and follow-up of DSA's orders and instructions to improve storage conditions for spent fuel.
DSA has uncovered nine non-compliances from requirements in the Pollution Control Act, Radiation Protection Act, and Nuclear Energy Act. The inspection has revealed that IFE did not notify DSA when findings were made during IFE’s own inspections of the wet storage facility in November 2024. Furthermore, it has been uncovered that the storage is not fit for purpose, the safety analysis report for the facility is incomplete, and IFE's aging management program and follow-up have not been sufficient to detect material wear earlier. In 2018, DSA ordered IFE to improve storage conditions, and the inspection has revealed a lack of progress in this work.
–IFE's aging management, maintenance, inspection, and monitoring of the wet storage facility have been so inadequate that immediate measures are now necessary. IFE must implement necessary measures in the wet storage facility as soon as possible to ensure that safety functions are fulfilled and that the nuclear fuel is stored safely. This applies to both short-term and long-term measures to ensure the safety of the facility, says Mork-Knutsen.
IFE must assess the safety related to the implementation of necessary measures and apply to DSA for approval to install and carry out necessary short-term measures by May 23, 2025.
The non-compliances related to deficiencies in the safety report and safety assessments must be followed up by NND when the license is transferred from IFE. DSA has already formulated conditions in the recommendation for the transfer of license to NND that this must be further followed by NND.
–DSA will closely monitor progress in both IFE and NND's work with the wet storage facility in the coming period, concludes Mork-Knutsen.