The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) nuclear safety efforts in the former Soviet Union began in 1988. Today, those efforts are based on U.S. commitments made in 1993 in support of an international agreement to provide immediate assistance for short-term improvements at older Soviet-designed power plants, including the Chernobyl (Chornobyl) reactors.
The overall objective of the program is to provide support to host countries in their efforts to improve the level of safety of their Soviet-design reactors. To achieve this objective, activities focus on strengthening the operation and physical condition of the plants, enhancing the safety culture among designers, constructors and operators of the Soviet-designed nuclear power plants and supporting the development of an indigenous nuclear safety infrastructure for sustaining satisfactory safety levels.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is responsible for training regulators and assisting them in developing independent regulatory agencies with the legal basis to enforce safety standards and procedures.
DOE will receive $30 million in fiscal year 1996 for its nuclear safety assistance programs, down from $45 million in fiscal year 1995. DOE had requested $83.8 million in funding for its nuclear safety assistance programs for fiscal year 1996.
Twenty-nine nuclear power plants operate in Russia, comprising four types of reactor designs. To date, the Soviet-Designed Reactor Safety Program has focused on the RBMK and VVER reactor designs, which make up 97 percent of the installed nuclear generating capacity in Russia.
The objective of the Management and Operational Safety program is to improve safety of day-to-day operations of Russian nuclear power plants. Activities are grouped into six categories:
Key accomplishments through December 1995
Twenty Russian engineers and scientists representing four of Russia's nuclear power plants visited the United States to observe the development and implementation of operating procedures at U.S. nuclear power plants.
All 16 standard guidelines for procedure development for Soviet-designed nuclear power plant operations have been drafted by a working group of representatives from the nuclear power plants, U.S. industry, the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) and DOE. The guidelines are based on INPO's "Good Practices" and have been modified for use at the soviet-designed plants. The guidelines will be finalized when plant-specific procedures have been tested at the pilot nuclear power plants.
Eight improved plant operating procedures have been implemented at the Balakovo nuclear power plant. The procedures were developed based on the guidelines developed by working groups addressing conduct of operations issues.
Three training courses for the Balakovo Training Center were completed.
Design specifications were completed for simulators at Balakovo, Kalinin, Kola and Novovoronezh nuclear power plants. Contracts have been placed for simulators for the Balakovo, Kalinin and Kola plants.
Operators at Russian Novovoronezh nuclear power plant are set to use new emergency operating instructions adopted by their facility.
A three-year, $8 million maintenance improvement project aimed at enhancing the safety of day-to-day maintenance operations has been put in place at five RBMK sites: Kursk, Leningrad and Smolensk in Russia; Ignalina in Lithuania; and Chernobyl (Chornobyl) in Ukraine.
Work in progress
Planning for operator exchanges in 1996 is under way. In early 1996, representatives from the Novovoronezh nuclear power plant will visit the Vermont Yankee plant where they will study the U.S. approach to developing and implementing emergency operating procedures and associated training requirements. Specific schedules for other visits have not yet been established.
Work continues on developing pilot training courses for key plant staffing positions. Specific programs are under way for reactor operators and shift supervisors involved in refueling operations. Additional specialized courses are being developed, including instructor training, procedure development, and supervisory skills.
Options for the Balakovo analytical simulator still are being evaluated. Work is continuing on the design of the Kola Unit 4 control room mockup for the full-scope simulator.
Contract negotiations for completing the development of symptom-based emergency operating instructions are under way for the Kola VVER-440 Model V213 units and the Balakovo VVER-1000 units. The associated computer and office equipment is being purchased for the Kola and Balakovo reactor units.
The Kalinin nuclear power plant is expected to provide its existing emergency response plan. Once this plan is received and reviewed, agreement can be reached on proceeding with emergency response work for that plant.
Draft work plans for the maintenance technology program element are being prepared, based on the draft agreement and the identified generic plant issues, and prioritized on the basis of safety importance. The draft implementation plan and a proposed maintenance advisory board charter will be sent to each RBMK plant and REA (Smolensk Training Center owners) for review in January 1996. These documents will be submitted for ratification and concurrence at the first RBMK maintenance advisory board meeting to be held in February 1996 at the Electric Power Research Institute in Charlotte, North Carolina. This advisory board will include representatives from the maintenance staff of each RBMK nuclear power plant as well as a representative from REA and the United States.
Activities in this area focus on upgrading fire safety systems, confinement systems and engineered systems. The programs are designed to provide Russia's nuclear power plant operators with the techniques, tools and equipment, and practices and procedures needed to improve plant safety.
Key accomplishments through December 1995
The fire hazards analysis working group (with members from U.S. commercial firms, national laboratories and DOE) began developing procedures for fire hazard analyses for Soviet-designed nuclear power plants. The procedures identify ways to prevent fires and reduce the risk of radioactive releases from fire-initiated accidents.
Samples of fire-protection equipment were shipped to a facility in Moscow for testing and certification to Russian fire standards, before installation.
Fire protection equipment has been delivered to the Smolensk nuclear power plant.
Ultrasonic test equipment for the Kursk nuclear power plant is in Helsinki awaiting Russian customs clearance.
Batteries for emergency power systems and confinement isolation valves for the Kola nuclear power plant have been shipped to Russia and await customs clearance.
Fire protection equipment for the Leningrad nuclear power plant has been shipped to Russia and awaits customs clearance.
Activities to support enhanced plant-safety evaluations include:
Key accomplishments through December 1995
The first phase of the VVER reactor design description "redbook" (Overall Plant Design for VVER Water Cooled, Water Moderated Energy Reactor) was completed by the Nuclear Safety Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The document provides a generic description of VVER reactor designs found in Russia and the former Soviet Union.
Agreement was reached with Sweden and the United Kingdom to sponsor a joint in-depth safety assessment of Unit 2 at the Leningrad nuclear power plant site. This is the pilot project of the RBMK plant-specific safety assessments planned under the Plant Safety Evaluation activities. The technical work for this assessment is to be performed by the Leningrad plant and Russian design and scientific institutes, with technical assistance from British, Swedish and U.S. experts.
DOE, IVO International of Finland and the Kola nuclear power plant are working together to perform an in-depth safety analysis of the Kola plant.
Planning is well under way by DOE and the Russian Science and Engineering Center for Nuclear and Radiation Safety to perform a detailed safety analysis of the Novovoronezh nuclear power plant.
Work in progress
A project was initiated to provide support in development, verification, and validation of the transient thermal-hydraulic and neutronic analysis computer codes at RDIPE, the primary designer of RBMK reactors. These codes will provide capabilities for the analysis of events such as loss of cooling. The project also will provide the appropriate tools for analyzing overpressure scenarios in the reactor confinement structure. Arrangements have been made to supply RDIPE with an updated computer capability to perform these calculations.
Two projects are being planned with the Nuclear Safety Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The objective of the first is to develop a technique to provide prioritized lists of safety upgrades proposed for representative RBMK power plants. In this project, the analysis will be based on the consideration of the dominant accident sequences at the Kursk nuclear power plant. The second project will develop recommendations to improve the operational safety of pre-stressed reinforced containment. This will be done by conducting a strength analysis of the reinforced containment and its pre-stress system under operational and design accident conditions. This work began in July 1995.
The Department of Energy and the Federal Nuclear and Radiation Safety Authority (Gosatomnadzor) of the Russian Federation completed a cooperative agreement to help enhance safety of Russian nuclear fuel cycle facilities and research reactors. Work conducted under the agreement will focus on fuel cycle facilities and research reactors of the type not regulated by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
The agreement provides for:
Exchanges of expertise and views on general approaches to licensing activities associated with operating fuel cycle facilities and research reactors.
Systematic approaches for assessing the safety of fuel cycle facilities and research reactors.
Analysis of deviations from normal operation at these facilities and reactors.
This element of the program is designed to support development of basic nuclear laws and regulations in countries with Soviet-designed nuclear power plants. The legal framework promotes:
Adherence to international nuclear safety and liability conventions or treaties, which should help ensure the effective exchange of information and technology between Western and Eastern nuclear programs, consistent with internationally recognized safety, environmental and health standards.
Domestic indemnification for nuclear liability. Such laws will enable Western safety technology to be used to a greater extent than under the DOE program to increase the safety of Soviet-designed nuclear power plants.
Establishment of strong, independent regulatory bodies.
In April 1995, U.S. and Russian experts reviewed draft Russian nuclear liability legislation. The Russians plan to revise the draft legislation, then resubmit it to the experts for a second round of comments. A final draft of the legislation will then be submitted to the Russian parliament.
Ukraine operates 14 Soviet-designed nuclear reactors at five sites, including two RBMK-1000s, two VVER-440 Model V213s and 10 VVER-1000s. The plants account for 32.9 percent of Ukraine's electricity. A unique feature of the DOE effort in Ukraine is the establishment of two major initiatives associated with the Chernobyl (Chornobyl) nuclear power plant.
Management and Operational Safety Programs
The objective of the Management and Operational Safety programs is to enhance the safety of day-to-day operations of Soviet-designed nuclear power plants. The programs in Ukraine focus on:
Key accomplishments through December 1995
All planned operator exchanges involving Ukrainian plant personnel were completed.
Three of eight job-specific pilot courses and all three of the specialized courses–systematic approach to training, safety culture and general employee safety training–have been completed for the Khmelnitskiy (Khmelnytskyy) plant.
Detailed specifications for the full-scope simulator planned for Khmelnitskiy have been completed. The contract for the simulator was awarded to S3 Technologies in Maryland. A team of Ukrainian specialists is spending a year at S3 Technologies, participating in simulator development activities.
All 16 standard guidelines for Soviet-designed nuclear power plants have been drafted. Eight of the procedures have been implemented at the Zaporozhye (Zaporizhzhya) pilot plant.
The mechanical maintenance motor-operated valve repair course that was developed for Khmelnitskiy was modified and transferred to Balakovo for use at the training center.
Nineteen of 33 emergency operating instructions for the VVER-440/213 reactors at the Rovno (Rivne) plant have been drafted.
All 47 of the emergency operating instructions for the VVER-1000 reactors at the Zaporozhye plant have been drafted.
Goskomatom (the organization that operates all of Ukraine's nuclear plants) decreed in April 1995 that all of the country's reactor sites must develop symptom-based emergency operating instructions by December 1, 1996. The Zaporozhye was designated to take the lead role in accomplishing this activity.
Eight training specialists from the Khmelnitskiy plant worked at General Physics Corp., in Aiken, S.C., to prepare for implementation of the Reactor Vessel Repair Technician training program. The Khmelnitskiy plant will begin the training program January 1996.
A memorandum of understanding for the development of a full-scope simulator at the South Ukraine nuclear power plant was signed by DOE, General Energy Technologies, Goskomatom, the South Ukraine plant, Brookhaven National Laboratory and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
Zaporozhye plant personnel completed their first deliverable in the development of emergency operating instructions for the plant.
The Crimea Scientific Center signed an agreement with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for future emergency operating instructions development work in Ukraine.
Work in progress
Planning for future operator exchanges between U.S. and Ukrainian nuclear power plants.
Development of emergency operating instructions for RBMK reactors continues with Sweden and the Ignalina plant in Lithuania.
DOE's activities focus on upgrading fire safety systems, confinement systems and engineered safety systems. The programs aim to improve the performance of safety systems in Soviet-designed nuclear power plants by transferring the tools, equipment and procedures need to upgrade the safety of Ukrainian plants.
Key accomplishments through December 1995
Ukrainian-manufactured fire doors passed safety tests conducted by the Swedish National Testing Institute, which means they are certified to international fire safety standards and can be used in Soviet-designed nuclear power plants.
Fire detection and suppression equipment was delivered by a U.S. firm for shipment to the Zaporozhye plant.
Samples of fire protection equipment were shipped to Zaporozhye for testing and evaluation, fire detection panels were manufactured and other equipment was purchased.
The English and Russian versions of the second draft of the Reactor Core Protection Evaluation Guidelines were completed.
A fire hazards evaluation training program was completed by staff of the Zaporozhye plant and the State Fire Protection Institute of Ukraine. They received classroom training on the history of U.S. fire hazards analysis and visited the Catawba and Oconee nuclear power plants in the United States to see how the results of fire hazards analyses have been implemented to decrease the likelihood of a fire resulting in core damage.
Work in progress
Production and procurement of fire doors needed for the Zaporozhye (Zaporizhzhya) and Chernobyl nuclear power plants is under way.
Reactor Core Protection Evaluation Guidelines will be completed in June 1996, with additional training sessions planned for July and September 1996.
Work in Ukraine has focused on providing a dry cask spent fuel storage system for the Zaporozhye site, which is running out of spent fuel storage capacity.
Key accomplishments through December 1995
A contract was awarded to Duke Engineering and Services Inc. (DES) to provide three dry storage casks, a cask transporter, and related services and training. DES released purchase orders for the vacuum drying and welding systems portion of the storage system for the Zaporozhye plant. The ventilated concrete cask liner materials were delivered to DES' subcontractor for shipment of Ukraine.
Zaporozhye staff learned about cask operations by observing cask loading at the Palisades nuclear power plant in Michigan.
Ukrainian regulators were trained on the regulation of spent fuel transportation and storage and on specific computer codes for shipping cask analysis. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory provided software, notes and supporting documents, and a computer to the Ukrainians who participated in the five-week spent fuel training.
Zaporozhye-specific operating procedures were developed for the dry cask storage system.
Work in progress
Loading of the first dry cask at the Zaporozhye plant is scheduled for 1996.
DOE, in cooperation with Ukraine, has initiated two major efforts associated with the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. One is the establishment of the Ukrainian International Nuclear Safety and Environmental Research Center; the other, the implementation of near-term safety improvements at the Chernobyl plant.
The objectives of the Ukraine International Nuclear Safety and Environmental Research Center are to:
Develop an indigenous capability for providing operational safety support to Ukrainian nuclear power plants.
Provide a focal point for international cooperation for addressing the environmental issues at Chernobyl. The center provides a foundation for better understanding the transport of radioisotopes after an nuclear accident, for developing and demonstrating remediation technologies, and for facilitating more effective and efficient methods for cleanup.
Address socioeconomic concerns and issues associated with the future shutdown of the operating Chernobyl reactors. The center provides a starting point for diversifying Chernobyl's economic base, as well as a means of maintaining reactor personnel during and after reactor shutdown.
Near-term safety enhancements at Chernobyl include:
The award of a task order to Bechtel Power Corp. to provide fire detection and protection equipment and materials to Chernobyl for their evaluation. Chernobyl plant staff identified the portion of this equipment for their plant that Bechtel will purchase.
The development and production of fire doors.
A visit by 16 Chernobyl plant staff to the Brunswick nuclear power plant in North Carolina to observe implementation of U.S. operational safety practices, such as emergency operating instructions, conduct of operations procedures and quality assurance procedures.
Acceptance of bids for computer equipment needed by Chernobyl to support operational safety projects. The equipment will be delivered in January 1996.
A visit to Chernobyl by a Pacific Northwest National Laboratory staff member in December 1995 to continue development of draft emergency operating instructions.
Key accomplishments through December 1995
A 1,000-kilowatt backup diesel generator was delivered to the Kozloduy plant site in Bulgaria. The generator will provide an additional backup power source to operate key reactor safety systems if off-site and existing emergency on-site power systems are unavailable.
Descriptions of reactor safety systems were documented in the Ignalina Plant Parameter Source Book. Available in English and Lithuanian, the book is the best source of data available on RBMK-1500 reactor safety systems.
Two fire trucks, communications equipment, radiation dosimeters and protective suits for firefighters were delivered to Kozloduy.
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory performed a peer review on the initial phase of the probabilistic risk assessment for the Ignalina nuclear power plant.
A VVER-440 Model V230 plant analyzer (hardware and software) has been transferred from the Committee on the Use of Atomic Energy for Peaceful Purposes to the Kozloduy reactor site for use by staff.
Bulgarian scientists and Brookhaven National Laboratory staff collaborated to develop a preliminary VVER-1000 computer model for the Kozloduy plant analyzer. The model will be delivered to Kozloduy in January 1996.
A comprehensive safety assessment program conducted at the nuclear power plant sites of Dukovany, Czech Republic, and Bohunice, Slovakia, is being used to identify design weaknesses and prioritize safety upgrades. Science Applications International Corp. has developed a computerized tool (the Safety Advisory System) to use the assessment results to support configuration management and maintenance planning activities at both sites.
Nuclear power plant representatives from Kozloduy, Paks, and Bohunice attended a workshop presented by Westinghouse Energy Systems Europe S.A. to discuss development of symptom-based emergency operating instructions.
Bulgaria has six operating nuclear power plants at the Kozloduy site. Together, they provide 36.9 percent of the country's electricity.
Work in progress
A seismic evaluation by Gilbert/Commonwealth Corp. of the cable shelves in the shield building that surrounds the reactor containment structure at Kozloduy reactor Unit 5. It is important to verify the structural integrity of building to ensure that it would not damage surrounding equipment or disrupt power supplies during a seismic event.
Completion and implementation of the remaining five of 16 site-specific documents containing guidelines to improve management and operational controls. In addition, the United States and Kozloduy have begun working together to develop emergency operating instructions for VVER-1000 and VVER-440 Model V230 units. Draft emergency operating instructions have been completed for the VVER-1000 units.
Collaboration between Brookhaven National Laboratory and visiting Bulgarian scientists to develop the VVER-1000 computer model for the Kozloduy plant analyzer. A preliminary computer model has been developed and will be delivered to Kozloduy personnel in January 1996. Contracting also is under way to provide training courses, hardware, and software to further develop the Bulgarian training center capabilities.
The Czech Republic has four operating nuclear power reactors at the Dukovany site. These provide 29 percent of the Czech Republic's electricity. In addition, two more plants are being constructed at the Temelin site.
Work in progress
The Level 2 probabilistic risk assessment for the Dukovany reactors is being performed. The purpose of the three-year assessment is to study the effectiveness of the accident localization system (confinement) under various abnormal conditions. In the Level 2 stage, experts investigate the probability of radioactivity moving outside the containment structure after an off-normal event, to assess containment performance under various conditions. (During the Level 1 assessment, the conditions, or scenarios that could cause core damage were defined. During Level 3, potential health and environmental consequences of radioactive releases are evaluated.)
Hungary has four operating nuclear power reactors at the Paks site. These provide 43 percent of Hungary's electricity.
Work in progress
Symptom-based emergency operating instructions for the Paks nuclear power plant are under development.
A project designed to provide human factors training and support programs to the Hungarian Institute for Electric Power Research. The institute is evaluating the performance of operators who are using reactor control panel simulators, then using the results of that evaluation to improve the training program. A preliminary report has been issued and will be reviewed by a representative of Scientech, which is directing the project. The project's estimated completion date is February 1996.
Contracting is under way to provide the Paks Maintenance Training Center with a series of networked computers loaded with maintenance training software.
Lithuania has the world's two largest operating nuclear power plants at its Ignalina site. Each of the two RBMK-1500 reactors is capable of producing 1,500 megawatts of electricity. Together, the two reactors provide 87.6 percent of Lithuania's electricity.
Work in progress
Development and expansion of the Ignalina plant analyzer capabilities is under way.
Symptom-based emergency operating instruction flow charts are being drafted. Once the drafts are finished, analysis and verification activities will begin.
Configuration management program is under development. Contractor Stone & Webster Inc. is working with the Lithuanians to develop a program that will enable staff to track the exact design of the plant through engineering modifications and upgrades. This will support the Lithuanians in developing document control and establishing the design basis of the Ignalina plant. The design basis provides the parameters that safety systems must meet.
Slovakia has four operating nuclear power reactors (two VVER-440 Model V230s and two VVER-440 Model V213s), all located at the Bohunice site. They provide 53.6 percent of Slovakia's electricity. Four more VVER-440 Model V213 reactors are under construction at the Mochovce site.
Work in progress
The simulator for the VVER-440 Model V230 plant is being upgraded, in collaborative effort between VUJE, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and Scientech Inc. A software called SAMMI has been identified and provided to the plant. SAMMI will allow multiple inputs to a single process, which enables more productive interactions between the simulator and workstations. The developer of SAMMI, Kinesix, will provide two weeks of intensive training.
Emergency operating instructions are being prepared.
A study to support the Bohunice instrumentation and control upgrade program is under way. The upgrade program has been offered by the European Community. The study will help the Slovaks develop a technical specification for a safety parameter display system.
The existing Trnava Training Center, which is near the Bohunice nuclear power plant site, is being upgraded. Science Applications International Corp. will prepare hardware and computer model recommendations, establish a training program curriculum, and upgrade the VVER-440 Model V213 simulator.
January 1996
