ASAMPSA_E

Welcome to ASAMPSA_E

The Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan resulted from the combination of two correlated extreme external events (earthquake and tsunami). The consequences, in particular flooding, went beyond what had been considered in the initial NPP design.

Such situations can be identified using probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) methodology that complemented the deterministic approach for beyond design accidents. If the results of a PSA conclude that such a low probability event can have led to extreme consequences, industry (system suppliers and utilities) or Safety Authorities might take appropriate decisions to reinforce the defence-in-depth of the plant.

The project ASAMPSA_E aimed at promoting good practices for the identification of such situations with the help of PSAs and for the definition of appropriate criteria for decision-making in the European context. It offered a new framework to discuss, at a technical level, how “extended PSA” can be developed efficiently and used to verify if the robustness of Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) in their environment was sufficient.

The project gathered experts from 28 organisations in 18 European countries and was open for collaboration with organisations that had a broad experience in the field.