Seismic Margin Assessment and Improvements of Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant

Seismic Margin Assessment (SMA) is one of the methods for seismic safety assessment of nuclear power plants. The United States in the 1990s requires all running nuclear power plants to carry out an Individual Plant Examination of External Events (IPEEE), in the completion of the IPEEE of 110 units, 65 units using the seismic margin assessment method. The commercial nuclear power industry of China started late, although the Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research and Design Institute in the 1980s to carry out seismic safety evaluation of relevant research. After the Fukushima nuclear accident, the National Nuclear Safety Administration requires all nuclear power plants in operation to carry out Seismic Margin Assessment. In view of the above background, the Shanghai Nuclear Engineering Research and Design Institute and Qinshan Nuclear Power Co., Ltd. on the Qinshan nuclear power plant to carry out the seismic margin assessment. Through the assessment, some weak links were found in the Qinshan nuclear power plant in some aspects. The Qinshan nuclear power plant in the implementation of the targeted improvements, the power plant’s seismic capacity has been effectively improved.