Radiation & EnvironmentIrradiation & DevelopmentSafety & Power

Safety analysis

You are about to demonstrate (again) that the primary system of your nuclear plant is safe. You are in search of independent external expertise. Extra practical and specialist support for your overburdened project organisation, experienced trainers to refresh your knowledge, or analysts who can perform calculations on certain aspects of the configuration.

NRG has been performing deterministic safety analyses at nuclear plants for over forty years. NRG is entirely independent of any commercial organisation or regulator. We conduct safety analyses on behalf of operators, suppliers and regulators. We can also review existing safety analyses on your behalf. 

The safety of a nuclear plant must be reaffirmed in regular safety evaluations, and in the event of any system modifications or process changes. Under current regulations, deterministic safety analyses are often required in such situations. Calculating how safe a nuclear system (or part of it) is takes great expertise, and powerful, detailed models.

NRG provides this expertise itself, and seconds its own well-equipped experts to organisations both in Europe and beyond. If you wish, NRG will supply tailor-made models that you can use to perform the most common safety analyses yourself. In the event of large or complex projects NRG can provide extra manpower on location, and perform safety analyses on your behalf. We also regularly act as client’s engineer, conducting reviews of external safety analyses.

NRG performs safety analyses for:

  • AREVA, France
  • Westinghouse, USA
  • Regulatory bodies such as the Dutch Nuclear Energy Service (KFD)
  • PBMR, South Africa
  • EPZ, Borssele nuclear power plant, the Netherlands
  • High Flux Reactor, NRG, the Netherlands

Desktop Simulator

Are you looking for a model of a specific nuclear plant? Or do you want a generic model of a pressurised water reactor for training purposes? Perhaps you need to calculate the effects of multiple accident conditions on the safety of a reactor in real time?

NRG's Desktop Simulator is a handy tool for trainers, operators and regulators in the nuclear sector. It can be adjusted to suit every existing pressurised water reactor and adapted for numerous applications. We can reconfigure the Desktop Simulator to customer specifications, including level of detail, speed and calculating power. 

The Desktop Simulator is interactive and its interface is highly visual. It allows you to see in real time how the primary system will respond to changed parameters. The system generates data that show the effects of certain actions or events. The bandwidth ranges from a rough overview of the effects and safety implications to a detailed analysis of a series of events and the response of the primary system.


The SPECTRA program is used to perform accident analysis on HTR reactors. NRG developed the code specially for the gas-cooled High Temperature Reactor which uses graphite balls. SPECTRA allows you to simulate long-term reactor operations and their effects on the accumulation of radioactive substances in the system.

SPECTRA has a number of unique features. For example, it can reveal the effects of a pipeline fracture, calculating what substances are likely to be released and how much radiation emitted in various accident scenarios.

Further information from:

Pieter Wakker
Phone: (+31) (0)26 356 8580
Email: wakker@nrg.eu