Zaporizhzhya Technical Activities
The Zaporizhzhya plant has been involved with U.S. firms and agencies in upgrading operating procedures, training methodologies, fire equipment, and fuel cycle safety.
Operating Procedures
As part of a working group focusing on
VVER-1000
reactors, 48 draft emergency operating instructions have been drafted for the Zaporizhzhya plant and two other plants with
VVER-1000
reactors (Balakovo in Russia and Kozloduy in Bulgaria). The EOIs are based on the U.S. methodology for symptom-based instructions. In addition to these EOIs, 16 standard guidelines were developed by a working group composed of representatives from the Soviet-designed nuclear power plants (NPPs), U.S. industry, the Russian Institute for Nuclear Power Operations (VNIIAES), and DOE.
Fire Protection Equipment
Fire protection equipment, which included fire suppression equipment manufactured and supplied by Grinnell and fire detection panels and devices manufactured by Pyrontronics and supplied by Ellenco, has been shipped to Zaporizhzhya. In addition, a contract has been signed with Zaporizhzhya management for the local procurement of fire doors, portable fire extinguishers, and self-contained breathing apparatus.
After fires doors manufactured by the Ukrainian company Asken did not pass the initial certification test, they were refabricated by Asken and retested by the Swedish National Testing Institute in Boras, Sweden. The doors passed the test and are now certified to international fire safety standards. As a consequence, Asken can now manufacture fire doors for use in Ukrainian nuclear power plants. Installation of fire doors at Zaporizhzhya is scheduled for November 1996.
Flame-resistant, cable penetration sealant material successfully underwent vendor-sponsored testing that met International Standard Organization requirements. Delivery of sealant materials in late 1996 and fire doors will complete the planned activities on the fire safety upgrade for Zaporizhzhya plant.
Fuel Cycle Safety
To develop systems to safely handle, move, and store reactor fuel, efforts have been directed principally toward providing a dry cask storage system for Zaporizhzhya spent fuel and training Ukraine nuclear regulators in evaluating the safety of licensing such a system.
Under a DOE contract, Duke Engineering and Services has provided Zaporizhzhya a cask transporter, ventilated concrete cask liners, and ancillary equipment for dry cask storage. Assisted by Duke Engineering staff, Ukrainian personnel have begun pouring the concrete to make the casks. It is anticipated that Zaporizhzhya's staff will produce about 12 casks per year onsite, enough to make the plant self-sufficient in managing spent fuel. Duke Engineering will also build the transportation system needed to move the casks between the fuel loading area and the dry storage facility and build the storage pad for the casks. U.S. experts have previously provided Ukrainian regulators with five weeks of hands-on training in using U.S.-developed codes to calculate predicted cask conditions. Completion of the dry storage system is scheduled for March 1997.
