On May 15, 1989, representatives of 144 electric utility organizations with operating nuclear power plants around the world gathered in Moscow to charter the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO), a new international organization intended to further enhance the safety and performance of nuclear power plants worldwide.
By taking this landmark step and committing their organizations to freely exchanging and using operating information, the founders built in part on the American model for achieving excellence in nuclear plant operations--the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO).
The value of WANO's founding principles--open communication and comparison of information on nuclear plant operations, and the emulation of excellent operating practices by plant operators--had been demonstrated in the previous 16 years through INPO.
WANO was formed in response to the 1986 accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Soviet Union. That event demonstrated the need for international cooperation and information exchange in nuclear plant operations. It also created a determination among nuclear utilities worldwide to work together for improved safety and reliability in plant operations.
WANO is based on the recognition that the ultimate responsibility for a nuclear plant's safety and reliability rests with the operator.
WANO's mission is to maximize the safety and reliability of nuclear power plant operation by exchanging information and encouraging comparison, emulation, and communication among its members. This mission is achieved by:
WANO operates through four regional centers, in Atlanta, Moscow, Paris and Tokyo, and a small coordinating center in London. WANO's member utilities and these centers are linked by a computerized data system that allows the exchange of information on a wide range of safety and reliability issues.
WANO's program of international exchange visits between nuclear professionals, begun almost immediately after the organization was founded, has already achieved an impressive early goal: By the spring of 1991, teams from every nuclear power plant in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union had visited Western nuclear plants to initiate reciprocal operator-to-operator information exchange visits.
Exchange visits continue today, providing an excellent opportunity to foster communication between plants and thus continue enhancing nuclear plant safety and reliability.
Following the successful completion of a series of pilot peer reviews in 1992 and 1993, WANO began a formal program of voluntary peer reviews of WANO member plants in 1994. Under the program, international teams of 12 to 20 experienced plant personnel review the operations of the host plant to identify areas of strength to share with other plants, and areas where the host plant could improve its operational safety and reliability. The program is carried out on a regional basis, but conforms with standard requirements and includes team members from all regions.
Program experience to date has reinforced the validity of the precept that independent review of an organization's activities can often identify otherwise unrecognized areas where improvements can be made. The actions taken to address these identified areas directly contribute to WANO's mission of maximizing the safety and reliability of plants worldwide.
December 1995