Design provisions for withstanding station blackout at nuclear power plants

This publication provides information for new plant designs as well as modifications to existing operating nuclear power plants to cope with extended station blackout (or similar).

It describes a common international technical basis to be considered when establishing all the criteria for a station blackout event, and outlines critical issues which reflect the lessons learned applicable to electrical systems from the Fukushima Daiichi accident.

The publication also describes current plant practices and design provisions for withstanding a station blackout event already implemented at some nuclear power plants, as well as proposals for improvement of existing plant design and qualification requirements to increase the robustness of the plant electrical design for contending with a station blackout event.