January-February 2019 NPJ

Nuclear Plant Journal, January-February 2019 NuclearPlantJournal.com 11 (Continued on page 12) In this sense, the reactor of the nuclear power plant, located in the province of Córdoba, Argentina, begins its second operating cycle for a period of 30 years. The first criticality is the most anticipated moment of the project to prolong the life of the plant since it implies the beginning of the nuclear operation. Next, the tests will begin at different power levels and the behavior of the systems will be verified until the commercial operation starts. Moreover, the plant will start delivering power to the grid progressively until it reaches its full capacity of 683 MWe, six percent more than its previous capacity. Among the most important tasks of the Life Extension Project of the Embalse Nuclear Power Station is the reactor retubing, replacing of the steam generators, the increase of power, among others. The plant completed its first operating cycle on December 31, 2015. Throughout its history, the international community of the nuclear sector recognized it for its excellent performance and always remained among the top ten in the world ranking of nuclear power plants. Contact: telephone: Nucleoeléctrica Argentina, 54 03571 486000, email: rinstitucionales@na-sa.com.ar . Industry PE Exam Survey Licensed professional engineers working in the nuclear field are encouraged to participate in a Professional Activities and Knowledge Study (PAKS) survey that will be used to develop new exam specifications for the nuclear Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) examination. The PAKS survey is available online at The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) site at https://www.research.net/r/PE- Nuclear-Survey-2019. The deadline for completing the survey is April 10, 2019. The survey, which can be completed in about 45 minutes or less, consists of questions about the professional activities, knowledge, and skills of a licensed nuclear engineer. The specifications developed from survey results will replace the current specifications for the nuclear PE exam in 2021. The PE exam is the second exam that is required for licensure as a professional engineer and is open to engineers who have graduated from an ABET-accredited engineering program and have accumulated at least four years of engineering experience. Engineers must also have passed the Fundamentals of Engineering exam, which is typically taken during the senior year of college. As an incentive to participate, the ANS Professional Engineering Examination Committee (PEEC) will award 1.0 hours of Continuing Professional Competency (CPC) credit to P.E.s for completing the survey. Contact: John Bennion, ANS, email: NuclearPAKS@ans.org . New Chairman The World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) announced that it has elected Mr. Tom Mitchell as the next Chairman of WANO. This decision was made at the WANO Governing Board meeting held last week in London. Subject to completion of employment formalities, Mr. Mitchell will replace current Chairman Jacques Régaldo on 1st March 2019. Jacques Régaldo has served as WANO Chairman for the past six years. Mr. Mitchell has gained over 40 years’ experience of working in nuclear industry leadership roles, and he currently serves on the Board of Directors at FirstEnergy Corporation. In his previous role as CEO at Ontario Power Generation, Mr. Mitchell was responsible for the operation of 10 nuclear units, and ensured they operated at high levels of safety and reliability. Mr. Mitchell has also been an influential and active leader in WANO for many years - leading as the Chair of WANO’s post Fukushima committee in 2011, which developed recommendations and oversaw the implementation of global improvements in nuclear safety and reliability. He also served as the Deputy Director of the WANO Atlanta Centre, and as Governor on the WANO Governing Board. Contact: Tim Jeffery, WANO, telephone: 44 (0) 20 7478 9207, email: tim.jeffery@wano.org. Partnership The World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) and World Nuclear Association have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), as the basis of a partnership that aims to enhance the performance of nuclear power plants worldwide. Under the agreement, both organisations will work together to discuss challenges and identify solutions to deliver better outcomes for the industry in four key areas; emergency response support, export controls, the nuclear supply chain and capacity building. The organisations have agreed to work together in the area of emergency response by exchanging information, while always respecting confidentiality – which is a fundamental part of WANO’s ethos and commitment to its members. For the supply chain, WANO will participate in World Nuclear Association’s influential supply chain working group meetings. This will help enhance co-operation on global supply chain issues – relating to optimisation, modernisation and capacity building - that are increasingly affecting the industry. Under the terms of the deal, WANO will also continue to participate in the World Nuclear University (WNU) Advisory Panel, and provide experts to give lectures at WNU events. Contact: Tim Jeffery, WANO, telephone: 44 (0) 20 7478 9207, email: tim.jeffery@wano.org.