Adolfo Repáraz

Columbia, SC, USA

Mr. Adolfo Repáraz, Owner and Principal Consultant, Nuclear Fuel Advisors is an expert in fuel manufacturing technology. He has extensive experience in the commercial nuclear industry in the areas of fuel mechanical design and manufacturing, fuel manufacturing equipment design and processes, fuel design requirement definition, quality control of manufacturing activities, irradiated fuel inspection, fuel performance assessment, failed fuel diagnostics, irradiated fuel inspection tooling, manufacturing surveillances, project management, hot cell inspections, and interaction with licensing authorities. He was responsible for defining fuel component material and finished product requirements for Exxon Nuclear (now Framatome) and participated in the transfer of technology to build a new nuclear power plant in Lingen, Germany for Exxon Nuclear.

Mr. Repáraz has substantial knowledge and experience regarding quality surveillance (QS) oversight of nuclear fuel fabrication, and most recently the PLUS7 design fabricated at Kepco Nuclear Fuel (KNF). Since 2017, he has served ENEC as an Alternate Project Lead under our current QS services contract and has helped to assess KNF manufacturing practices and activities with respect to current industry standards and practices. Under this contract scope of supply, Mr. Repáraz can be made available for any location but would continue to have a primary focus on work performed at KNF in Korea.

Mr. Repáraz has extensive experience in the commercial nuclear industry in the areas of fuel mechanical design and manufacturing, irradiated fuel inspection, fuel performance assessment, failed fuel diagnostics, irradiated fuel inspection tooling, manufacturing surveillances, project management, hot cell inspections, and interaction with licensing authorities. He is highly experienced in quality assurance/quality control management. He is a certified QA Auditor by AQS (American Quality Society) and a Lead Auditor by DOE OCRWM (Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management). While at Westinghouse, he was responsible for implementation of the Westinghouse Quality Management System in all activities related to his functional responsibilities.

As a highly qualified QS Engineer, he is available to serve as a backup for onsite surveillance activities and mentoring of ENEC staff when the NAC Project Manager is unavailable or if fabrication schedules require parallel surveillance efforts in different locations. As QS Engineer, he is also available to accompany the NAC Project Manager (or other QS Engineers authorized under this project) when work activities dictate the need for additional qualified staff, as may be requested and authorized by ENEC.

Areas of Expertise

• Compatibility and mixed core evaluations
• Core components design, materials, and performance
• Fuel department staffing and organization assessments
• Fuel Design & Manufacture
• Fuel design change reviews
• Fuel fabrication procurement
• Fuel handling, core loading, and operational support
• Fuel manufacturing technical oversight
• Fuel materials and irradiation effects
• Fuel performance and reliability
• Fuel rod analyses
• ISO vs safety-related gap assessments
• Manufacturing quality surveillance (QS)
• New fuel design reviews / LTA's / Accident Tolerant Fuel
• NQA-1 Lead Auditor services
• Operation & Performance
• QA program audits
• QA program development for new entrants
• QA program implementing procedures
• RFP and bid evaluations
• Spent fuel examinations