| October - December 2001 Contents Highlight |
Armenia Bulgaria Czech Republic Hungary |
Kazakhstan Lithuania Russia Slovakia |
Ukraine United States Cross-Cutting Activities Planned Activities |
Ukraine
Ukraine Control Room Turbine Operator course completed
A two-week working session was held October 15 through 27 at the Zaporizhzhya
nuclear power plant (NPP) to continue the transfer of the Control Room Turbine
Operator (CRTO) training program initiated during three prior working visits
and workshops. As part of this visit, training specialists from the U.S. firm
Sonalysts Inc., the Engineering Technical Center (ETC) in Ukraine, and the Khmelnytskyy
NPP worked with training specialists from the Zaporizhzhya plant to transfer
and modify existing CRTO training materials for specific implementation at each
site. The pilot program was implemented during this second week of the visit.
During December 10 through 21, 2001 representatives of PNNL, Sonalysts, Inc., Energoatom, and Ukraine's ETC met with training staff at South Ukraine NPP to finalize implementation of their CRTO pilot course. This completed 18 months of work, which included the course implementation at Rivne NPP and Zaporizhzhya NPP. This work is part of the ongoing effort to transfer technology related to the systematic approach to training used at all U.S. nuclear utilities. As part of the project, enhanced training material will be available to technical staff at Soviet-designed NPPs. This is the third of five pilot courses being developed for critical control room positions and is essential in upgrading operator performance in Ukraine. (John Yoder, DOE, 301-903-5650, Don Draper, PNNL, 509-372-4079)
Work on Ukrainian DDSM, URDB, QA, Infrastructure, and EARLL projects continued
A PNNL specialist met with Ukrainian specialists in Kyiv from December 1 - 8
to discuss continuing work on several INSP projects.
Representatives of the Ukraine utility, Energoatom, and various Ukrainian technical support organizations joined the PNNL specialist in discussing the design document system management (DDSM), the Ukraine reliability database (URDB), Ukraine quality assurance (QA) and infrastructure, and event analysis, reporting, and lessons learned (EARLL) projects.
The DDSM, QA and infrastructure meetings included the NPP Operational Support Institute (NPP OSI) along with Energoatom. The status and impact of recent budget decisions were discussed. The Ukraine reliability database project status was reviewed with Information Technologies Incorporated (INIT), Energoatom, Kyiv University, and Russian Research Institute for Nuclear Power Plant Operations (VNIIAES). Planned activities for the next two fiscal years were discussed and plans were made for a re-examination of methods to allow information sharing between the Ukraine reliability database and the similar database in Russia. During a root-cause analysis conference sponsored under the EARLL project, representatives from Energoatom, some host-country vendors, and the specialist from PNNL discussed future EARLL activities. (Tyrone Blackburn, PNNL, 509-372-4092; Dennis Meyers, NNSA, 301-903-1418)
Safety related security upgrades continue at Zaproizhzhya and Khmelnytskyy
NPPs
In early October, the Request for Proposal (RFP) was sent out to Transexpo Corporation
of Ukraine to implement security upgrades at Zaporizhzhya Unit 1 and additional
upgrades at Khmelnytskyy Unit 1. The Transexpo contract with Khmelnytskyy was
established on December 3 and the Zaporizhzhya contract is being finalized.
At Khmelnytskyy NPP, equipment and installation activities will start in early
2002 following the PNNL's approval of a project work plan, general layout drawings,
and technical specifications. (Andrei Glukhov, PNNL, 509-375-3961; Greg Trosman,
NNSA, 561-734-8108)
Project review meeting held for Rivne Unit 2 full-scope simulator
A project review meeting was conducted with the Rivne NPP training center and
GSE Systems, Inc. (GSE) site managers. The current project schedule was reviewed
and discussed and participants toured the Unit 2 simulator facility. The hardware/software
integration was completed one week ahead of schedule on November 16. Pre-acceptance
and performance testing started November 19 and is scheduled for completion
in May 2002. GSE stated that the project team has been able to recover a total
of seven weeks out of the nine weeks of original baseline project schedule delays
due to the now remedied custom clearance delays. The next project review meeting
will be held in March 2002. (Andrei Glukhov, PNNL, 509-375-3961; John Yoder,
DOE, 301-903-5650)
Wiring and assembly phase completed for Zaporizhzhya Unit 1 full-scope simulator
A specialist from PNNL met with representatives of the Russian Research Institute
for Nuclear Power Plant Operations (VNIIAES) to check the status of wiring and
assembly activities at the Zaporizhzhya Unit 1 simulator facility, and the preparation
for software and hardware integration. The wiring and assembly activities were
completed in December and the next step will be the hardware checkout phase.
The software/hardware integration phase is scheduled to begin in January 2002.
(Andrei Glukhov, PNNL, 509-375-3961; John Yoder, DOE, 301-903-5650)
Close of Khmelnytskyy ISA Phase I coordinated
The U.S. Technical Coordinator of the Ukrainian Khmelnytskyy Nuclear Power Plant
(NPP) In-depth Safety Assessment (ISA) project met in Kyiv with Ukrainian specialists
working on the project. The meeting also was attended by two staff members of
the U.S. Technical Assistant Contractor, Data Systems and Solutions. The meeting
included activities toward the closure of the Khmelnytskyy ISA Phase I work
on Project Guidelines and Databases and the coordination of the beginning of
the Phase II production of Khmelnytskyy Level 1 probabilistic risk assessment
(PRA) and the Design Basis Accident (DBA) analysis. Although Phase I is not
yet complete, all databases required to begin work on Phase II had been completed
prior to the meeting. The first task has been signed with the Engineering Services
Company-led Ukrainian consortium, which won the Level 1 PRA contract, and the
second task has been signed with the Kyiv Energoproject-led consortium, which
won the DBA contract. In preparation for the meeting, technical workshops were
successfully presented to Khmelnytskyy NPP staff by both consortia during November.
The Phase II planned work activities were reviewed, including the need for the participation of the Khmelnytskyy technical staff in the production of the PRA and DBA deliverables. The matter of quality assurance (QA) and deliverable review procedures were reviewed and settled. Initial progress made under both activities was reviewed, and the technical approach for the next tasks agreed upon. Data Systems and Solutions also presented a three-day workshop on advanced PRA topics to NPP and PRA consortium analysts. From observations to date, the U.S. team believes that cooperation is quite satisfactory between 1) members within each consortium, 2) each consortium and the NPP, and 3) all three Ukrainian entities with respect to the DBA computer code work which also supports the PRA. Both consortia confirmed the arrangements for timely transfer of lead-plant material from the Zaporizhzhya ISA Project to the Khmelnytskyy ISA Project. The timely transfer of this material is very important to the success of the Khmelnytskyy ISA project. (Charles Dickerman, ANL, 630-252-4622; Walt Pasedag, NNSA, 301-903-3628)
Progress on Ukrainian Nuclear Fuel Qualification Project
activities
Fourth UNFQP Working Meeting
In mid-October, the Ukraine Nuclear Fuel Qualification Project's (UNFQP) Fourth
Working Meeting was held in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Two specialists from PNNL were
on hand along with representatives of all organizations participating in the
UNFQP. The Working Meeting was quite productive, including PNNL's receipt of
the Dummy Fuel Assemblies Agreement (signed by NAEC "Energoatom").
Shipment of the dummies will be contingent upon the submittal of import and
end-user certificates from DOE. Shipments are expected to be made by the end
of 2001. An Agreement of Cooperation between NAEC "Energoatom" and
the Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology was also received.
The Ukrainian parties spent time producing a fourth set of consolidated comments on the Technical Task Document. They also considered the previously undocumented State Nuclear Regulatory Committee of Ukraine's (SNRCU) comments. Out of this activity came the decision to list two additional documents that will need to be submitted. The group, as a whole, considers these new requirements to be appropriate and will add them to the project. The Fifth Working Meeting is planned for February 2002. (Richard Libby, PNNL, 509-372-6221; James Cannon, NNSA, 301-903-5016)
CRCD plans to implement an internal Quality System in alignment with ISO-9000
standards
At the Center for Reactor Core Design (CRCD) working meetings, held mid November,
efforts were discussed to develop and implement an internal Quality System.
The UNFQP has given authorization to the CRCD to develop the new system. The
implementation of such a system is a necessary step toward the accreditation
of the CRCD and Ukrainian regulatory authority permission to perform nuclear
technical work.
A review performed during the summer 2001 revealed the need for specialized assistance to the CRCD. The needed assistance and project schedule were discussed. The UNFQP elected to use a Quality System consultant from the Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology (KhIPT), with extensive experience in the implementation of the ISO-9000 standards. This consultant is also currently supporting other INSP projects in Ukraine with regard to the development and execution of quality systems.
Also discussed was the number of ways procedures can be reduced and still comply with all aspects of ISO standards. An 8-hour course on ISO-9000 standards was delivered during the meetings and was attended by more than 26 staff members from both the CRCD and KhIPT. (Richard Latorre PNNL, 509-372-4418; James Cannon, NNSA, 301-903-5016)
| October - December 2001 Contents Highlight |
Armenia Bulgaria Czech Republic Hungary |
Kazakhstan Lithuania Russia Slovakia |
Ukraine United States Cross-Cutting Activities Planned Activities |
