Nuclear Power and the Grid: Safety, Resilience and Lessons from Ukraine

The webinar brings together nuclear power plant operators, transmission system operators (TSOs), regulators, researchers and other experts to exchange knowledge and share experiences. Three projects from the GINO programme will be presented, covering house-load operation, generator stability and grid-induced forced oscillations.

Agenda

12:55–13:00 Welcome and introduction

13:00–13:30 Nuclear Safety in Ukraine

Andrii Goroshanskyi
Deputy Head of the Operational Safety Division, State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU)

Andrii Goroshanskyi will provide an update on the nuclear safety situation in Ukraine and how the war is affecting nuclear power plant operations. He will discuss challenges related to external power supply, measures taken by operators and IAEA missions to substations critical for nuclear safety. The presentation will also cover work to assess how safely nuclear power plants can operate under degraded grid conditions.

Andrii has worked for the Ukrainian nuclear regulatory authority since 2012, with responsibilities related to several Ukrainian nuclear power plants. Today, he is Deputy Head of the Operational Safety Division and is responsible for technical communication with the IAEA on nuclear safety missions in Ukraine.

13:30–14:00 International operational experience of house-load operation of NPPs: KWU-built case study for LWR including EPR

Tatiana Salnikova 
Project Manager and Senior Expert, specializing in nuclear power plant operation and flexible operation strategies, Framatome GmbH 

Uwe Stoll
Technical Chief Advisor for Nuclear Facilities at Framatome GmbH and a recognized expert in nuclear safety and reactor technology. 

Oliver Sobott
Fellow Expert and Chief Advisor for Electrical Systems and EDG at Framatome, with over 30 years of experience in nuclear power plant engineering. 

What can international experience tell us about house-load operation during grid disturbances? This GINO project draws on operational experience and lessons learnt from German KWU-designed pressurised water reactor, PWR,  and boiling water reactor, BWR, nuclear power plants. It focuses on load rejection to house load and house-load operation, including plant responses to loss-of-grid events, the performance of key plant systems and the role of instrumentation and control (I&C) in detecting grid loss.

The presentation will highlight factors contributing to the successful development of this capability and selected grid code requirements. It will also consider how this experience can help strengthen plant robustness and resilience and prepare nuclear power plants for changing grid conditions and potentially stricter grid requirements.

14:00–14:15 Coffee break

14:15–14:45 Robustness of Synchronous Generators Near Capability Limits

Matilda Arvidsson
Engineer, PSA Nordics Energy Systems, DNV

This GINO project explores what happens when synchronous generators operate close to their reactive power limits. The study uses dynamic simulations of the Nordic power system to examine how different operating conditions affect generators and the power system. It focuses on their ability to handle disturbances, including effects on voltage and rotor-angle stability. The presentation will highlight key findings and their practical implications for nuclear power plants and transmission networks.

14:45–15:15 Nuclear Generator Behaviour Under Grid-Induced Forced Oscillations

Danilo Obradović
Researcher, Electric Power Systems Unit, RISE

This GINO project investigates how forced oscillations from nearby inverter-based generation can affect a nuclear power plant and the wider grid. The study identifies conditions in which these disturbances can have the greatest impact on system dynamics, including inter-area oscillations. The presentation will also explore possible ways to reduce their impact on nuclear power plant operation.

15:15–15:25 Wrap-up and closing remarks