TVA Nuclear Obsolete Equipment

According to a nuclear industry peer organization, ensuring the right spare and replacement items are available when they are needed to support critical plant equipment is essential to minimizing equipment unavailability and optimizing generation. Nuclear Power Group Standard Programs and Processes 09.18.8, Equipment Obsolescence Program, defines obsolete equipment as an item in plant service no longer manufactured or otherwise difficult to procure and qualify. It establishes methods for (1) identification of obsolete items, (2) prioritization of obsolescence issues, and (3) resolution of obsolescence issues critical to plant reliability. Based on a previous evaluation that identified obsolescence issues negatively impacting equipment at the Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) nuclear sites, we performed an evaluation of TVA Nuclear obsolete equipment to determine if TVA Nuclear was effectively managing obsolete equipment. We determined TVA Nuclear’s management of obsolete equipment could be improved. Specifically, we found (1) some obsolescence issues were not being proactively resolved, (2) proactive analytics and vulnerability reviews were not being performed, and (3) there was a lack of ownership and engagement in the obsolescence program. We also identified an opportunity for improvement related to prioritization of obsolescence issues.