National Atomic Energy Agency

The authorization of the President of the PAA confirms the Institute’s competence in the indicated scope, but also opens the way to obtaining the status of a technical support organization of the National Atomic Energy Agency in the process of assessing the application for a license to construct a nuclear power plant. Specialist knowledge of the strength of building materials used in this type of facilities will be essential in this process.

– For several years now, we have been regularly preparing to consider the application for a license to construct a nuclear power plant in Poland. We have an important role in this task – oversight of the investment, i.e. checking whether all activities related to the construction and subsequent operation of the nuclear power plant are carried out in accordance with the requirements for nuclear safety and radiation protection," explains Andrzej Głowacki, President of the PAA. "The role of the PAA is, among other things, to consider the application for a construction license. This is a thorough analysis of the complex technical documentation that the investor will present to us with the application” – adds President Głowacki.

Many of the analyses needed to issue the license will be carried out by the Agency’s experts themselves. However, the technical documentation of such a complex facility as a nuclear power plant is so extensive and covers so many areas that when analyzing the documentation, it may also be necessary to reach for the specialist knowledge and experience of institutions dealing with a given field.

According to the Atomic Law, when assessing the safety of a nuclear power plant, the President of the PAA may rely on the expertise of external technical support organizations. However, these must be institutions that have previously received appropriate authorization. And this is the authorization in the field of strength of building materials used in nuclear power plants received by the Krakow Institute.

The area of strength of building materials used in nuclear power plants will be important for the assessment of the safety of a nuclear power plant. Testing the strength of concrete and other building materials used in this type of construction plays a key role in ensuring durability and reliability, especially under conditions of long-term exposure to high temperatures, ionizing radiation and environmental factors. Materials must be resistant to ageing processes to maintain their properties throughout their service life. A reliable assessment of this strength will be necessary both to verify compliance with national and international regulations, and to prevent possible threats to people and the environment in the future.

Łukasiewicz – Institute of Ceramics and Building Materials is the 15th institution to receive the authorization of the President of the PAA. A full list of authorized institutions and the scope of their authorization can be found at the link: https://www.gov.pl/web/paa/autoryzowane-laboratoria-i-organizacje-eksperckie2.