April - June 2001 Contents Highlight

Armenia Bulgaria Czech Republic Hungary

Kazakhstan Lithuania Russia Slovakia

Ukraine United States Cross-Cutting Activities Planned Activities

Armenia

Armenia plant physical security project scope defined

A PNNL technical specialist met with representatives of the Armenian Ministry of Energy and Armenia Nuclear Power Plant in late April to finalize agreement on a protocol that describes the scope of the Armenia Physical Security Project. The protocol addresses project implementation and management, needs assessment and prioritization, regulatory interfaces, host country contributions, the potential contractual mechanism, and confidentiality. A tour of the Armenia nuclear plant was arranged so project participants could observe the existing status and needs of physical protection systems on the site. The meeting participants agreed that the following prioritized areas would be included in the project scope:

• service water system
• access control system, including personnel badging system and physical barriers
• detection, alarm, and surveillance system for internal vital areas
• central alarm station
• communications system
• training and procedures
• external perimeter upgrades.

The Armenia plant will manage the project functions for the Armenian side including coordination with the Ministry of Energy. (Grigory Trosman, DOE, 301-903-3581; Andrei Glukhov, PNNL, 509-375-3961)

Technical specialists from the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory conducted a RELAP5/MOD3.2 training workshop in Yerevan, Armenia. The training was held in the offices of the Armenian Scientific Research Institute for Nuclear Power Plant Operation, and included eight participants from the host organization and five participants from the Armenia Nuclear Power Plant. The purpose of the workshop was to provide further training in the use of the RELAP5/MOD3.2 code in performing reactor safety analyses.

The workshop was designed for intermediate RELAP5 users, those with a working knowledge of the code, and included both lectures and hands-on exercises. The primary focus of the workshop was on performing plant design basis analyses. For the exercises, a VVER-440/213 plant model was used that included small and large break loss-of-coolant accidents, steam generator tube ruptures, and anticipated transients without scram. Lectures addressed input model development; analysis and input model quality assurance, documentation, and configuration control; and provided additional details on some of the code features. Consultations with individual users were held to address their specific questions or problems. Follow-up interactions with the users are expected as the plant input model is developed and transient analyses are performed. (Walt Pasedag, NNSA, 301-903-3628; Mark Petri, ANL, 630-252-3719)

Management and supervisory skills training held at Armenia nuclear plant

In response to an identified need to strengthen management skills, a four-day seminar on management and supervisory skills was conducted at the Armenia Nuclear Power Plant May 21-25. This workshop was previously presented to directors at the Armenia facility, as well as at nuclear plants in Russia, Ukraine, and Bulgaria. This second presentation of this workshop is at the request of Armenia plant management. The workshop focused on individuals who are in management and supervisory positions and consisted of instruction in basic management skills, including communication, decision-making, teamwork, motivation, leadership, human factors, and organizational structure. In addition to presenting the seminar materials in the workshop, a training expert from Human Performance Analysis Corp. worked with Armenia plant training personnel to help them understand the materials. (John Yoder, DOE, 301-903-5650; Don Draper, PNNL, 509-372-4079)

Transfer of electrical operations training program initiated

A working session was held June 4-17 at the Armenia Nuclear Power Plant to initiate transfer of the electrical operations training program to the site. This session was the first of three working sessions that will be held to facilitate transfer of the program. During the first session, participants reviewed electrical operations training material developed for other Soviet-designed reactors with a view toward adapting the material for specific application at the Armenia facility. A training specialist from Sonalysts Inc. helped training specialists from the Armenia plant understand existing electrical operations training material and assisted them in identifying material that could be appropriately modified and transferred. (John Yoder, DOE, 301-903-5650; Don Draper, PNNL, 509-372-4079)