October 11, 1996
Prepared by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington

RUSSIA

Safety Systems Delivered to Kursk Nuclear Power Plant. The mobile emergency water supply system for Kursk nuclear power plant (NPP) has been delivered to the plant site. The unit, designed and fabricated under the direction of U.S. contractor Burns & Roe, consists primarily of a large Godwin water pump and a John Deere diesel generator integrated onto a trailer that can be moved to the area of emergency need. Atomenergoproekt is preparing detailed design modifications for the plant piping.

Documentation for the equipment's final release to Kursk NPP is still undergoing Customs processing. However, the Customs office allowed the system to be transferred temporarily to the plant for testing. During that time, Kursk plant staff were trained to operate the system.

The safety-grade direct-current batteries for the Kursk plant also were delivered to the site and have been cleared by Customs. The switch boards for the batteries are in transit to the plant. Installation is planned to occur before the end of 1996. (Rich Denning, PNNL, 614-424-7412)

Project Steering Committee for Leningrad Unit 2 Meets. The steering committee for the probabilistic and deterministic safety analysis project at Leningrad Unit 2 met on September 26 in St. Petersburg to discuss project coordination and resolution of east/west commercial agreement and contract issues. Participants included representatives from ENTEK, Leningrad NPP, the Swedish International Projects office, AEA Technologies of England, and U.S. program representatives. ENTEK agreed in the meeting protocol to accept the terms, conditions, and costs proposed by the U.S. representatives. In subsequent discussion with ENTEK on September 30, ENTEK would agree only to a reduced system description scope, which was not agreeable to the U.S. representatives. Direct discussions with the Leningrad NPP are ongoing for the plant to provide the necessary system descriptions and plant data for the program. (Sam McKay, PNNL, 509-372-4059)

Finnish Regulatory Group Expresses Interest in Peer Review Role. A U.S. project team member met with representatives from the Finnish regulatory group STUK, in Helsinki on September 27. STUK has expressed an interest in participating in the peer review activities of the probabilistic and deterministic safety analysis project at Leningrad NPP Unit 2. STUK representatives were provided with information concerning project scope, project structure, steering committee meeting issues, and potential scope of peer review activities. The steering committee has requested that STUK representatives attend the next meeting to provide information concerning their level of support. (Sam McKay, PNNL, 509-372-4059)

UKRAINE

Safety Parameter Display Systems To Be Implemented at Two VVER-1000 Reactor Sites. On September 23 and 24, representatives of Burns & Roe and other U.S. team members met at Derzhkomatom to discuss safety parameter display systems for Ukraine's VVER-1000 reactor units. Agreement was reached that the U.S. program will supply at least two such systems. A coordinating group is being established to guide implementation of the systems. Derzhkomatom will choose the pilot plant for the first system and select the Ukrainian design organization to develop software and displays. In addition, Derzhkomatom will provide documentation of the need for integrating a developmental system with a VVER-1000 simulator. Burns & Roe will undertake a competitive bidding process to select a U.S. system vendor. (Rich Denning, PNNL, 614-424-7412)

CHORNOBYL SHELTER PROJECT

Chornobyl Shelter Manager Approves New Project. A dose reduction project jointly proposed by Chornobyl NPP staff and U.S. experts was approved last week by Ukraine's Chornobyl Shelter manager. The project is aimed at reducing radiation dose to Chornobyl plant staff working in the area of the shelter and its neighboring Unit 3 reactor. During meetings scheduled for October 14 and 15, U.S. program staff will meet with the shelter manager to discuss this and additional shelter safety project priorities for new starts. (Dennis Kreid, PNNL, 509-375-2170)

CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE

Armenia: Fire Safety Upgrades To Begin at Nuclear Power Station. From September 30 through October 3, the project team for fire safety met at Armenian nuclear power station to initiate the U.S./Armenia fire safety project at the plant. Upgrades planned as part of the project include fire-resistant floor material, a fire detection and alarm system, and fire doors. The team also held preliminary discussions on projects to complete the new service water system and to install mobile diesel-powered pumps. A coordination meeting was held with Russian participants. (Dennis Meyers, DOE, 301-903-1418)

Bulgaria: Configuration Management Project at Kozloduy Steps Up Pace. Representatives from the U.S. program and U.S. contractor American Technologies, Inc. met September 30-October 3 with Bulgarian subcontractor Risk Engineering Ltd. and Kozloduy NPP staff. The meetings were held at Kozloduy to institute improvements in the work processes for the configuration management project. All parties agreed upon actions to increase the pace of the work at the plant.

In addition, team members from the U.S. program and contractor Parsons Power Group, Inc. met with Risk Engineering Ltd. and Kozloduy NPP personnel to discuss progress on the cable shelves component of the building seismic upgrade project. This project is on schedule and will be completed in November 1996. Kozloduy plant staff and Bulgarian regulatory authority personnel presented information on two new seismic upgrade projects for which they are requesting U.S. program sponsorship on a high-priority basis. (Dan Couch, PNNL, 372-4591)

Lithuania: Configuration Management Project Completed at Ignalina NPP. A project meeting was held September 18 through 25 at Ignalina NPP in Visaginas. Representatives from the U.S. project team and Stone & Webster Engineering Company reviewed activities completed under the original configuration management project. The reviewers determined that all activities have been completed satisfactorily; the project will be closed out in October. In addition, a protocol that included project scope, responsibilities, and schedule was signed to begin the new joint Swedish/U.S. project to implement configuration management at Ignalina. (Dan Couch, PNNL, 509-372-4591)

CROSS-CUTTING ACTIVITIES

International Meeting Focuses on Improving Safety of Soviet-Designed Reactors. Forsmark, a Swedish commercial nuclear facility, was the site of an international workshop held September 30 through October 4. Co-sponsored by the International Atomic Energy Agency and Swedish International Projects, the workshop focused on international experience in understanding and improving the safety culture of organizations associated with the operation of Soviet-designed reactors. Participants included representatives from the RBMK plants; Russian, Lithuanian, and Ukrainian nuclear regulatory organizations; Rosenergoatom; the World Association of Nuclear Power Operators; Canada; and Sweden. A U.S. program team member attended the meetings. Participants indicated a high level of interest in developing an understanding of western safety culture concepts and expressed a desire to conduct future meetings on this topic. (Sam McKay, PNNL, 509-372-4059)

PLANNED ACTIVITIES

"*" indicates the event is a new item or has been changed from the last report.

*October 14-15 -- St. Petersburg, Russia.
Representatives from Bechtel Power Corporation and Honeywell will meet with Leningrad NPP personnel to determine the scope of fire detection system improvements at the plant. This effort is part of the second phase of the fire safety upgrade program under way at Leningrad NPP. (Rich Denning, PNNL, 614-424-7412)

October 14-15 -- Chornobyl NPP, Ukraine.
U.S. program representatives will attend a meeting of the European Commission (EC) Chornobyl Shelter Project staff with Chornobyl NPP management. They will tour the shelter and possibly participate in the EC project's concluding meeting. (Dennis Kreid, PNNL, 509-375-2170)

October 14-24 -- Dimitrovgrad, Russia.
Representatives from GAN will attend a course on the management of performance-based training programs. The course will be offered at the Research Institute of Atomic Reactors (NIIAR) in Dimitrovgrad. (George Sherwood, DOE, 301-903-4162, or George Vargo, PNNL, 509-375-6836)

October 14-25 -- Waterford, Connecticut, USA.
Balakovo NPP specialists will travel to Sonalysts to continue development of the radiation protection training course. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

October 16-18 -- St. Petersburg, Russia.
U.S. program staff will meet with representatives from VNIPIET and the Khlopin Radium Institute. Discussions will cover the potential application of available data and expertise at those two institutes for solving problems associated with the damaged Unit 4 reactor and sarcophagus at Chornobyl NPP. (Frank Goldner, DOE, 301-903-2025)

October 19-25 -- Moscow and Novovoronezh, Russia.
A U.S. project coordinator will participate in discussions with representatives from REA and Novovoronezh NPP regarding the startup of that plant's Unit 3 plant safety evaluation. (Walt Pasedag, DOE, 301-903-0234)

October 19-27 -- Kyiv and Slavutych, Ukraine.
U.S. technical experts will complete the installation of the integrated computer and satellite system for the Chornobyl Center for Nuclear Safety, Radioactive Waste, and Radioecology. (Dan Giessing, DOE, 301-903-2852)

October 21 -- Helsinki, Finland.
A KOLISA project status review will be presented to the project steering committee. The steering committee consists of the Kola plant manager, the DOE program manager, and a technical consultant from IVO International, Finland. Project participants will discuss comments on the IBRAE peer review plan. (Jeff Binder, ANL, 630-252-7265)

October 21-24 -- Moscow, Russia.
Representatives from GAN will attend a workshop on event reporting and analysis for research reactors and fuel cycle facilities. (George Sherwood, DOE, 301-903-4162, or George Vargo, PNNL, 509-375-6836)

October 21-25 -- Columbia, Maryland, USA.
Staff representing the South Ukraine and Rivne NPPs and S3 Technologies will meet with U.S. program staff to discuss contractual arrangements for the full-scope simulator projects at South Ukraine Unit 1 and Rivne Unit 3. (Peter Kohut, BNL, 516-344-4982)

October 21-25 -- Kozloduy NPP, Bulgaria.
The project team for developing and implementing management and operational controls procedures will meet. The team will conduct technical reviews of draft procedures and planned steps to complete implementation of the procedures at pilot plants in countries with Soviet-designed NPPs. Attendees include representatives from Armenia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Russia, Slovakia, Ukraine, and the United States. The U.S. representatives include staff from the Brunswick NPP, INPO, and DOE. (Dennis Meyers, DOE, 301-903-1418)

October 21-25 -- Novovoronezh NPP, Russia.
Russian participants will accompany U.S. personnel on this site visit that is part of the project involved with transferring training technology. (John Yoder, DOE, 301-903-5650)

October 23-26 -- Genoa, Italy.
U.S. program staff and technical specialists for the Slovakian Nuclear Power Research Institute will attend the 8th European Simulation Symposium. There they jointly will present a paper describing the details and applications of the V1 simulator upgrade project. (Bill Shier, BNL, 516-344-2385)

*Change in date: October 26-November 2 -- Trnava, Slovakia.
The validation program for the V1 simulator upgrade will be performed jointly by U.S. program team members and Slovakian technical staff. Completion of this validation program is part of the preparation for transferring the upgraded simulator to the Slovakian training specialists. (Bill Shier, BNL, 516-344-2385)

October 26-November 2 -- Prague, Czech Republic.
A probabilistic risk assessment workshop will be cosponsored with the IAEA at the Czech Republic's Nuclear Research Institute. A U.S. team member will coordinate and participate in the workshop, which is being held to resolve discrepancies in modeling assumptions and databases among the different PRAs of VVER-440 reactors. Safety analysis specialists from Russian, Ukrainian, and Central and Eastern European power plants, and technical organizations will address modeling assumptions, initiating events, and component reliability data, with the goal of agreeing on consistent assumptions. Participation of a limited number of Western European and U.S. experts also is expected. (Jeff Binder, ANL, 630-252-7265)

October 28-November 1 -- Moscow, Russia.
Representatives from GAN will attend a followup workshop on safety analysis for research reactors and fuel cycle facilities. (Ed Branagan, DOE, 301-903-6509)

October 28-November 1 -- Moscow, Russia.
A course on the systematic approach to training will be given in Moscow for participants of the training technology transfer program. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

October TBD -- Kozloduy NPP, Bulgaria.
An EOI workshop tentatively is scheduled for Kozloduy NPP. Representatives from Sonalysts will present the principles of the U.S. "User's Guide" to staff from Kozloduy VVER-1000 and VVER-440/230 units. (Kent Faris, PNNL, 509-372-4068)

October TBD -- Moscow, Russia.
A special meeting of the VVER-1000 working group will be held at VNIIAES. Working group members from the Balakovo, Kozloduy, and Zaporizhzhya NPPs will meet with VNIIAES and Gidropress to review and discuss results of analysis calculations completed by Gidropress. (Kent Faris, PNNL, 509-372-4068)November 4-8 -- Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA.

A VVER regulator EOI workshop has been scheduled at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Technical Training Center. Representatives from Russian, Ukrainian, and CEEC regulatory agencies, with primary responsibilities for reviewing and approving VVER EOIs, will attend. They will observe, learn, and discuss regulator involvement with EOIs associated with the VVER reactors. Workshop objectives are to

• educate/familiarize regulators on symptom-based EOI concepts
• provide demonstrations on the use of EOIs to mitigate accidents
• build regulator confidence in the quality of the EOI development process
• provide answers to questions the regulators may have concerning symptom-based EOIs
• demonstrate the U.S. approach to regulator involvement in EOI development/implementation
• encourage regulator involvement/priority in EOI development, approval, and implementation.

A combination of classroom lectures and simulator scenarios will be used to demonstrate these key points. (Kent Faris, PNNL, 509-372-4068)

*November 4-8 -- Khmelnytskyy NPP, Netishin, Ukraine.
Program staff from Brookhaven National Laboratory and S3 Technologies experts will inspect the progress of the full-scope simulator work before the start of the hardware/software integration effort. Additional meetings are also planned with Khmelnytskyy plant personnel to discuss issues related to the project. (Peter Kohut, BNL, 516-344-4982)

November 4-6 -- Kyiv, Ukraine.
The RBMK Maintenance Advisory Board will meet to discuss project progress to date and to determine and prioritize project activities for 1997. Chornobyl NPP will host the meeting at its Kyiv offices. U.S. program team members will attend. (Tom Vehec, PNNL, 509-372-4072)

November 11-22 -- Balakovo NPP, Russia.
Sonalysts staff will assist Balakovo in the implementation of the water chemistry training course. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

November 11-December 6 -- Place TBD.
A workshop on the systematic approach to training will be held for participants of the training technology transfer program. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

November 18-22 -- Zaporizhzhya NPP, Ukraine.
There will be a VVER-1000 EOI working group meeting at Zaporizhzhya NPP. Representatives from all VVER-1000 NPPs are scheduled to attend. (Kent Faris, PNNL, 509-372-4068)

November 18-22 -- Smolensk NPP, Russia.
There will be an RBMK EOI working group meeting at Smolensk NPP. Representatives from all RBMK NPPs are scheduled to attend. (Kent Faris, PNNL, 509-372-4068)

November 18-22 -- Bohunice NPP, Slovakia.
The VVER-440/213 EOI working group will meet. Representatives from all VVER-440/213 NPPs are scheduled to attend. (Kent Faris, PNNL, 509-372-4068)

December 2-12 -- Moscow, Russia.
Programmatic review meetings are planned for a number of ongoing simulator projects. Staff from Kola, Kalinin, Novovoronezh, and Chornobyl NPPs will meet with S3 Technologies, VNIIAES, and U.S. program team members to discuss the progress of the simulator projects at each respective plant. (Peter Kohut, BNL, 516-344-4982)

December 11-12 -- Moscow, Russia.
A meeting will be held with the training technology transfer participants to discuss the progress of the program. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

December TBD -- Charlotte, North Carolina.
Plans are being made to bring nondestructive examination specialists from Russia and Ukraine to the United States to observe U.S. nondestructive examination practices. Tentative plans include visits to the Electric Power Research Institute Nondestructive Examination Center in Charlotte and a U.S. NPP, as well as to the Savannah River Site to observe how its inspection program has been upgraded. (Robert Moffitt, PNNL, 509-372-4108)

January TBD -- Dukovany NPP, Czech Republic.
In a tentatively scheduled EOI workshop, Sonalysts representatives will present the U.S. principles of verification and validation to staff from the Dukovany NPP VVER-440/213 units. (Larry Sherfey, PNNL, 509-372-4080)

ACRONYMNS/ABBREVIATIONS

Note: in the interest of providing a timely update on the Soviet-Designed-Reactor Safety Program, no formal document review of this weekly report has been conducted by DOE or PNNL.