Cathodic Protection (CP) and grounding conflicts are not unique to nuclear steam electric
stations (NSES), but are also experienced throughout the fossil fueled fleet. The more
conventional fossil fueled fleet operators have a long history with operation and maintenance
of CP systems with varying degrees of success, ranging from excellent to dismal. The keys
to successful implementation and maintenance of CP systems in power plants are: 1.
commitment to monitoring and maintenance, 2. excellent record keeping, and 3. management
commitment to funding needed repairs and replacements in a timely manner. We in the
nuclear industry do have a clear advantage in the area of quality record keeping. The same
may not always be said for the fossil fueled fleet. However, record keeping is only one piece of
the puzzle.
Keywords: buried plant piping, cathodic protection, copper conductor, galvanic anode cathodic
protection, grounding, grounding grid, impressed current cathodic protection, nuclear facilities.