Twelve members, 127 reactors: FROG now represents more than a quarter of the reactors in the world. Its members have just met in Sweden for the 54th annual steering committee. The opportunity to share their operational experience and define future strategic and technical orientations.
The operators KKG (Gösgen power plant in Switzerland) and ESKOM, (Koeberg power plant in South Africa) have just joined FROG the Framatome users group as permanent members of. Following the Slovenian operator NEK who joined the club earlier this year, they sit alongside CGN, CNNP, EDF, EDF Energy, Engie, EPZ, KHNP, TVO and Vattenfall in its decision-making bodies.
“FROG continues to grow with our nuclear power plant operating customers.” says Catherine Cornand, SEVP BU Framatome Installed Base. “For more than 30 years, it has provided its members with access to the expertise of Framatome OEM and allowed them to share regularly with their counterparts around the world. »
The FROG is an international network led by Framatome teams. It includes both operators whose reactors were designed by Framatome and operators using its components or services.
Since its creation in 1991, FROG has been the initiative of more than 50 joint study programs and 10 working groups. In addition to the work carried out throughout the year, members have personalized access to the FROG website, with a forum space, an operator database and a dedicated section on ongoing work.
This year, members have just voted for four new joint programs on Thermal sleeves Wear; fuels for diesel generators; baffle plate swelling and definition of common tools for flexibility of operations. They also decided to extend the work of FROG to knowledge management within their organizations as well as nuclear instrumentation.
Over the coming months, the working groups will continue their work and members will be able to continue their discussions through the online forum and regular meetings. Appointment was made to meet next year in Finland to share new insights.
The new members testify
“As an associated member of FROG since 2004, NEK participated in the FROG working group on steam generators. Our discussions on sludge cleaning, chemical cleaning, or applying film forming amines are examples of successful cooperation.” Says Mario Gluhak, Technical Director of the Krško power plant. We are convinced that we have many points of common interest and want to be able to expand our exchanges with other operators.”
” The feedback of shared operational experience in the FROG bodies is essential, especially in the extension of operations that we have just started.” said Sadika Touffie, Nuclear Engineering Manager at ESKOM.
“Feedback from participants in the Corrosion and Ageing working group was very positive.” Patrick Summermatter, Director Engineering and Maintenance, KKG. In FROG, many members share long-term operating perspectives. That’s why we decided to get more involved and become a permanent member.”