November 2000 Contents Highlight

Armenia Bulgaria Czech Republic Hungary

Kazakhstan Lithuania Russia Slovakia

Ukraine United States Cross-Cutting Activities Planned Activities

Russia

Host-country plan finalized for developing, implementing emergency operating instructions at Russian plants

In late October, nuclear specialists defined next steps in the work to implement symptom-based emergency operating instructions (EOIs) at three nuclear power plants in Russia. The three--Balakovo, Kola, and Novovoronezh nuclear power plants (NPPs)--had been selected previously as the pilot sites for EOI development for the VVER-1000, VVER-440/213, and VVER-440/230 reactor models, respectively.

Discussions focused on a plan produced by Rosenergoatom specialists for 1) EOI development and implementation, 2) future activity formulation and prioritization, and 3) EOI analytical validation. Organizations participating in the discussions included Rosenergoatom, the Russian Research Institute for Nuclear Power Plant Operation (VNIIAES), Gidropress, Atomenergoproekt, and the Kurchatov Institute. Representatives of Balakovo, Kola, and Novovoronezh NPPs also took part, as did two U.S. specialists from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.

During the discussions, Rosenergoatom staff presented the organization's current development plan, priorities, and needs related to EOIs. Spokespersons for the three nuclear power plants reviewed the status of EOI development at each plant. The U.S. team members gave a presentation in which they compared Bulgaria's experience in EOI development and implementation with the Rosenergoatom plan.

The Russian Research Institute for Nuclear Power Plant Operation (VNIIAES) in Moscow was the setting for late-October discussions of a plan to develop emergency operating instructions for three Russian nuclear power plants.

The U.S. team agreed to draft a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to be signed by all meeting participants defining the EOI development plan and roles and responsibilities of all participating parties. The MOU was to include the following terms, tentatively agreed to by all parties:

•    Rosenergoatom will be the manager of all Russian activities.
•    Rosenergoatom will finance activities required for EOI development, technical validation, and implementation over and above that financing provided by the U.S. Department of Energy.
•    The three nuclear power plants will evaluate the feasibility of restructuring current EOI development contracts to assign all remaining unpaid funds to EOI technical validation.
•    Rosenergoatom will define all contracting and subcontracting organizations.
•    The U.S. team will provide financial support to assist in funding EOI technical validation, assuming that the three current contracts with the plants for EOI development are restructured as described above.
•    The U.S. team will provide technical assistance and mentoring for technical validation, verification and validation, training, regulatory support, and implementation.
•    Russian computer codes will be used in conducting the technical validation.

In addition, the U.S. team agreed to initiate a draft statement of work for Rosenergoatom to develop an EOI analytical guideline for the Russian plants. In turn, Rosenergoatom agreed to initiate a draft proposal for development of an EOI analytical guideline by the end of November. Rosenergoatom agreed further to review the analytical scenarios developed during the June 2000 workshop and use them to initiate a draft proposal for analytical validation of the EOIs for the three Russian pilot plants. The U.S. team is considering the possibility of providing a workshop for Gosatomnadzor staff to explain the U.S. methodology for EOI technical validation. (Dennis Meyers, DOE, 301-903-1418; Kent Faris, PNNL, 509-372-4068)

Training in auditing supports Kalinin safety upgrades

During the first two weeks of November, four Russian specialists received training in the principles and practices of quality assurance auditing. The Russian specialists are participants in the U.S. Department of Energy's effort to transfer control system testing technology to host-country organizations. The course, provided by U.S. contractor Colandrea & Associates in San Diego, California, was designed to demonstrate modern quality assurance auditing practices. The Russian specialists will use their training in determining the quality of nuclear power plant control system equipment being supplied to Kalinin NPP as part of the plant's work to enhance overall safety. (Grigory Trosman, DOE, 301-903-3581; Ron Wright, PNNL, 509-372-4076)

Training in quality assurance auditing will help these Russian specialists ensure the quality of control system equipment for Kalinin NPP. Shown in class, left to right, are Andrei Legezo and Pavel Polyakov, VNIIAES; Vladimir Visotsky, Kalinin NPP; and Zinaida Zimina, Nizhny Novgorod Atomenergoproekt Institute.