May 17, 1996
Prepared by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington

RUSSIA

MOHT Basic Ordering Agreement. Negotiations regarding the Basic Ordering Agreement (BOA) with MOHT were finalized in Moscow this week and the BOA was signed. This agreement is significant to the International Nuclear Safety Program (INSP), as it will facilitate authorization of specific tasks as they are required. (Douglas Dahl, PNNL, 509-375-6855)

Smolensk NPP. In support of the Fire Protection Upgrade activities, a task order to purchase a fire and smoke alarm system for Smolensk NPP was awarded to Bechtel with a completion date of 9/30/96. (Andrea Fernandez, PNNL, 509-375-2649)

Kola NPP. A contract award was made to SAIC to provide technical management assistance to the Russian Kola In-depth Safety Analysis (KOLISA) project manager and specialized technical assistance to the project staff. The task will provide day-to-day management assistance of all the technical activities and tasks involved in the Kola plant-specific safety assessment at the site. (Andrea Fernandez, PNNL, 509-375-2649)

Leningrad NPP. Project integration and planning for the Leningrad NPP probabilistic risk assessment were addressed during workshops held at the ES-Konsult and RELCON offices in Stockholm, Sweden, April 29 through May 6. Participants in the workshops included representatives from the Swedish International Program (SIP), AEA Technologies, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). Detailed planning will be required to prepare the DOE-identified commercial agreements supporting U.S. project commitments. (Sam McKay, PNNL, 509-372-4059)

Kola VVER-440/213 Full-Scope Simulator. General Energy Technologies (GET), the simulation model contractor, has requested detailed shipping invoices from S3 Technologies for the Kola and Kalinin computer complexes to avoid Customs problems. S3 Technologies is preparing these documents. Additionally, GET has requested a letter from PNNL to the Agency of Technical Cooperation with Russia (US Embassy, Moscow) and support from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to have the Agency of Technical Cooperation with Russia send the necessary letter to the Humanitarian Help Commission in Moscow, Russia. It is hoped these measures will allow the equipment to flow smoothly through Customs. (Peter Kohut, BNL, 516-344-4982).

Novovoronezh VVER 440/179 Analytical Simulator. A successful proposal review meeting was held on May 1-2, 1996, at the facilities of S3 Technologies. Participants from DOE, PNNL, Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), and the NPP have reviewed the technical content of the proposal and provided comments to S3 Technologies. The final proposal containing technical and commercial sections will be issued by S3 Technologies not later than May 17, 1996. (Peter Kohut, BNL, 516-344-4982).

UKRAINE

PRA Training. As part of the program to enhance safety analysis capability in Ukraine, a contract has been awarded to Scientech, Inc. to provide training to Ukrainian reactor safety analysts on probabilistic risk assessment concepts and computational methods. Two training courses will be given during June in Kyiv, Ukraine. (Andrea Fernandez, PNNL, 509-375-2649)

Khmelnytskyy VVER 1000 Full-Scope Simulator. Personnel from DOE, BNL, and S3 Technologies visited the Khmelnytskyy NPP site on April 19, 1996, to evaluate the progress on the Training Center Building. Khmelnytskyy NPP has indicated that the construction schedule was affected by the severe winter, with work expected to be completed in June 1996. The progress on the control panel modifications was also inspected at the facilities of Energotraining. The work was impacted by delays due to obtaining customs clearance on a shipment from the U.S. and Russia. (Peter Kohut, BNL, 516-344-4982).

Ukrainian Simulator Support Center. PNNL and S3 Technologies have signed the contract for delivering equipment and services to the Engineering Training Center (ETC) in Kyiv. This will enable the ETC to start developing another simulator model based on the mode/license transfer under the Khmelnytskyy project. (Peter Kohut, BNL, 516-344-4982).

Rivne Full-Scope Simulator. A team with representation from DOE, BNL, PNNL, S3 Technologies and Goscomatom visited the Rivne NPP and a firm, KHEMZ, located in the city of Kharkov. Discussions at the NPP addressed the construction of the Training Center and the Full-Scope Plant Simulator. The plant is now reconsidering its choice of which reactor will be modeled: Unit 4 versus Unit 3. Unit 4 has not been completed. This is a major issue that must be resolved. An agreement was reached that the plant, together with Goscomatom, will provide more supporting information for making decisions.

The NPP has contracted KHEMZ to construct the simulator control room panels. An emergency task order was placed with S3 Technologies to allow our contractor to visit and assess KHEMZ. Based on the visit, the team is confident that KHEMZ has the capabilities to construct the panels. However, providing technical design support (S3 Technologies) to KHEMZ will likely be necessary because the firm has no experience with control panel mockups. The mockups must incorporate the I/O system for computer interfacing and thus are modifications of the actual panels. The existing task order will be modified to allow S3 Technologies to return and provide limited design support.

A project work plan was prepared and submitted for approval on April 23. The project work plan describes the required activities to fulfill the U.S. commitments. (Peter Kohut, BNL, 516-344-4982).

South Ukraine Unit-1 Full-Scope Simulator. The Memorandum of Understanding for this project was signed by all the parties: i.e., the U.S., Goscomatom, South Ukraine NPP, and the ETC of Ukraine. Based upon discussions with S3 Technologies, a revised Statement of Work was completed and provided to South Ukraine NPP staff for their evaluation. After issues associated with the simulation computer and control panel manufacturer are settled, the Request for Proposal will be issued. (Peter Kohut, BNL, 516-344-4982).

Chornobyl RBMK 1000 Analytical Simulator. A proposal review meeting was held at the facilities of S3 Technologies. The technical portion of the proposal was reviewed and various options were discussed. A priority list was prepared that will be used to decide the number of options exercised, depending on the proposal price and available funding sources. PNNL received the final proposal containing technical and financial sections from S3 Technologies on May 14, 1996. (Peter Kohut, BNL, 516-344-4982).

CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

Ignalina NPP Pipe Lathe. A pipe lathe for pipe cutting and weld preparation of 800-mm-diameter piping was shipped to Ignalina NPP on May 10, 1996, and was verified to be at the airport in Vilnius on May 14. This pipe lathe was sent in response to an urgent request from Ignalina NPP. Cracks have been discovered in the main coolant loop piping. The cracked portions of the piping need to be removed and replaced with new pipe to ensure the integrity of the system. The NPP does not have equipment that would allow this type of cut and preparation to be performed with the precision required for main coolant piping. The pipe lathe was one of the technologies approved for acquisition by the RBMK Maintenance Advisory Board when it met in February 1996 at Charlotte, North Carolina. (Tom Vehec, PNNL, 509-372-4072)

Ignalina NPP--Emergency Operating Instructions and Reliability and Maintenance Management System. Work was started on the first draft of the Ignalina NPP emergency operating instructions (EOIs) during workshops held at the ES-Konsult and RELCON offices in Stockholm, Sweden, April 29 through May 6. Participants in the workshop included representatives from RDIPE, Sweden, Ignalina NPP, and PNNL. The Ignalina NPP staff committed to completing all flowchart drafting by August, a completion date that represents a four-month improvement in scheduled activities. RDIPE committed to producing a basis document that supports implementation of the EOIs by December.

Also at the Sweden workshops, plans to coordinate the Reliability and Maintenance Management Systems (RMMS) project with related DOE and Finnish Configuration Management (CM) projects were initiated. Participants in the workshops included representatives from the Swedish International Program (SIP) office, Vattenfall, and PNNL. Significant issues raised during the meeting include the following: 1) the need for a single point-of-contact at the Ignalina NPP to represent all the Ignalina NPP CM needs; 2) the potential scope of the RMMS project; and 3) an integration plan for implementing the RMMS project. These issues have been communicated to the appropriate individuals for resolution. (Sam McKay, PNNL, 509-372-4059)

Bulgarian Nuclear Plant Analyzer. A meeting was held at Kozloduy NPP to discuss the Nuclear Plant Analyzer (NPA) program. The participants included Mr. Emil Kichev, VVER - 1000 EOI chief for Units 5 & 6, VVER - 440 EOI chief for Units 3 & 4, and Mr. Zahary Boyadjiev, Manager of Research and Development at the Kozloduy NPP. It was agreed that a member of the Kozloduy NPP staff will visit BNL to train on the NPA. The two EOI teams expressed a need to use the NPA to predict several transients required for the EOI development effort. It was agreed that conditions for several transients will be sent to BNL so the resident Bulgarian specialists can use them for practice calculations, with early results sent to Kozloduy NPP as they become available. Additionally, during this visit, coordination meetings with Mr. Y. Yanev of the "Committee on the Use of Atomic Energy for Peaceful Purposes" and Dr. Jordan Stamenov were held to discuss the status of the NPA program and future goals. (Greg Slovik, BNL, 516-344-7983).

Lithuanian Nuclear Plant Analyzer. Sample models are being prepared for the two Lithuanians that will soon arrive at BNL. The main effort has been focused on characterizing the fuel enrichment and the associated exposures. Plant-specific information will be supplied by the plant by the time the trainees arrive. (Greg Slovik, BNL, 516-344-7983).

CROSS-CUTTING ACTIVITIES

Code Validation. The code validation needs and the strategy for applying the RELAP5 computer code to RBMK reactors were defined at a May 7, 1996, meeting at DOE in Washington, DC. Participants included representatives from the national laboratories involved in INSP activities (Argonne National Laboratory, BNL, PNNL) and in RELAP5 development (Idaho National Engineering Laboratory), representatives of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and their contractor (Scientech), and representatives from the University of Maryland. The objectives of the meeting were to coordinate all current activities related to RELAP5 code validation for RBMK reactors to ensure they complement each other, and to develop an overall strategy that identifies the missing areas in code validation for RBMK applications, including a concerted effort (including international parties) to provide validation requirements. (Walt Pasedag, DOE, 301-903-3628)

PLANNED ACTIVITIES

May 18-25 -- Kyiv, Ukraine and Moscow, Russia.
PNNL staff will participate in meetings at Kyiv and Moscow to reach agreement on the scope and objectives of the non-destructive evaluation initiative. Russian, Ukrainian and United States attendees will jointly develop near-term project activities. (Dennis Meyers, DOE, 202-586-7834)

*May 18-23 -- Lithuania.
Representatives from BNL, DOE, and the U.S. Agency for International Development will meet with representatives from the Ministry of Energy, Ignalina NPP, and other Lithuanian nuclear organizations on the status and issues of current projects within Lithuania. (Dennis Meyers, DOE, 202-586-7834)

*May 19-23 --Paris, France.
Staff from PNNL and ANL will participate in an EU meeting that is part of a program to develop near-term and long-term solutions to structural and environmental problems of the Chornobyl Unit 4 Shelter. (Dan Giessing, DOE, 301-903-2852)

May 20-31 -- Aiken, South Carolina.
Staff from the Khmelnytskyy NPP and General Physics will continue development of the Chemical Operator Pilot Training Course. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

May 21-22 -- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
A meeting will be held at PNNL May 20, 21, and 22 to initiate the Leningrad RBMK Decommissioning Strategy Study. As a result of this meeting, work will begin on developing strategies for decommissioning Russian RBMK reactors, which are reaching the end of their service life. Participants will include staff from PNNL, BNL, and representatives from the Kurchatov Institute. (Robert Lavelle, BNL, 516-344-7747).

*May 21-30 -- Czech Republic and Moscow, Russia.
Staff from ANL will work with KOLISA project team members to develop project guidelines and review the QA and Peer Review plans. (Walt Pasedag, DOE, 301-903-3628)

*May 22-24 -- Moscow, Russia.
Staff from BNL, ANL, and SAIC will participate in meetings of the Kola Safety Assessment Project to 1) review the IBRAE plans for review of the Kola probabilistic risk assessment, 2) review the draft QA plan written by IBRAE, 3) review IBRAE comments on the Kola probabilistic risk assessment project guidelines, and 4) participate in a walk-down of the Kola NPP. (Walt Pasedag, DOE, 301-903-3628)

*May 24-27 -- Trnava, Slovakia Republic.
Staff from BNL and DOE will participate in the Slovak program review meeting, including a meeting with local USAID representatives. (Dennis Meyers, DOE, 202-586-7834)

*May 24-June 1 -- Polyarnie Zori, Murmanskaya Oblast, Russia.
Staff from BNL will travel to the Kola NPP during a planned outage to 1) conduct a walk-down of the reactor confinement to visually examine the condition f the confinement sealant, and 2) represent the Soviet Designed Reactor Safety Program in witnessing the confinement pressurization and leak-tightness testing. (Richard Reister, DOE, 301-903-0234)

May 26-29 -- Smolensk NPP, Russia.
Staff from PNNL and Nuclid will attend a series of management discussions with the staff and management of Smolensk NPP. Topics include the role of the new contract participant, contracting issues, and the present level of NPP support for EOI development. (Sam McKay, PNNL, 509-372-4059)

*May 27 -- Prague, Czech Republic.
Staff from BNL, ANL, and SAIC will travel to the Dukovany NPP to discuss the scope of assistance for verifying and validating the NPP EOI procedures and the hydrogen generation calculations that are being planned. (Walt Pasedag, DOE, 301-903-3628)

*May 28 -- Nuclear Research Institute Rez, Czech Republic.
Staff from BNL, ANL, and SAIC will discuss the draft work scope for Rez to support additional plant transient analysis calculations for EOI development, and discuss the participation of Rez staff and others in the Plant Safety Evaluation project. (Walt Pasedag, DOE, 301-903-3628)

*May 29-30 -- Sofia, Bulgaria.
Staff from BNL and DOE will meet with Bulgarian stakeholders and USAID/Bulgaria for Bulgaria's program review. (Dennis Meyers, DOE, 202-586-7834)

*June 1-5 -- Moscow, Russia.
Staff from BNL and DOE will participate in a DOE delegation to discuss recent initiatives by the Russians for analyzing the risk from fires at nuclear power plants. The Russians are undertaking a fire risk study for units at Balakova and Smolensk. (Chuck Ramsey, DOE, 301-903-5999)

June 3 -- Rivne NPP, Ukraine.
The VVER-440/213 working group will hold its quarterly meeting at Rivne NPP. The group will review EOIs produced at participating NPPs, NPP training plans, and NPP plans for verification and validation of EOIs. U.S. utility representatives will present the U.S. methodology on related topics. The meeting will also follow up on outstanding issues from the last meeting in November 1995. The working group will review information from the EOI analysis meeting held in Moscow, Russia, in May. (Larry Sherfey, PNNL, 509-372-4080)

June 3-4 -- Moscow, Russia.
Representatives of BNL, DOE, and PNNL will meet with VNIIAES, Rosenergoatom and the State Fire Service of Russia to discuss cooperation in fire risk and safe shutdown studies at Russian NPPs. (Chuck Ramsey, DOE, 301-903-5999)

*June 10-14 -- Doel NPP, Belgium.
The project team for developing and implementing management and operational controls procedures will meet at Doel NPP, Belgium. The meeting is being coordinated by the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO). This location was chosen to allow the opportunity to study the implementation of similar procedures at a non-U.S. and non-Soviet designed NPP. The team will also conduct technical reviews of draft procedures and take the necessary steps to complete implementation of the procedures at pilot plants in countries with Soviet-designed NPPs. Attendees include representatives from Armenia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Russia, Slovakia, Ukraine, and the United States. (Dennis Meyers, DOE, 202-586-7834)

*June 10-12 -- Prague, Czech Republic.
The next program reviews covering U. S. assistance to the Czech Republic is scheduled for June 10-12, 1996, in Prague. Based on information obtained at this review, the U.S. team will make recommendations to DOE management for future funding. The last review meeting was held in March 1995. (Nicholas Grossman, DOE, 301-903-3299)

*June 11-20 -- Novovoronezh and Moscow, Russia.
Staff from ANL, PNNL, and DOE will meet with representatives from Novovoronezh to discuss plant-specific safety assessments, and with representatives of RDIPE to continue negotiations for the Leningrad Plant Specific Safety Assessment. (Walt Pasedag, DOE, 301-903-3628)

June 15-22 -- Brookhaven National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Savannah River Site.
A seminar on Quality Assurance in Research Reactors and Fuel Facilities will be presented to representatives from the Russian regulatory agency, GAN. The staff members will visit BNL, ORNL, and the Savannah River Site June 15-22, 1996, to receive an overview of the various aspects of QA as applied to research reactors in the U.S. (Jan van Erp, ANL, 708-252-3381; Ted Ginsberg, BNL, 516-344-2620).

*June 13-17 -- Budapest, Hungary.
The next program reviews covering U. S. assistance to Hungary is scheduled for June 13-17, 1996, in Budapest. Based on information obtained at this review, the U.S. team will make recommendations to DOE management for future funding. The last review meeting was held in March 1995. (Nicholas Grossman, DOE, 301-903-3299)

June 23-29 -- Moscow, Russia.
Staff from ANL will meet with KOLISA project members to review project guidelines and conduct a plant walkdown, and to introduce human reliability concepts. (Walt Pasedag, DOE, 301-903-3628)

July TBD -- Kursk NPP, Russia.
Staff from BNL and a U.S. equipment manufacturer will visit Kursk NPP in Russia to train plant staff in the use of ultrasonic testing equipment and a re-engineered high temperature suit, which have been recently delivered to the site. (Jim Guppy, BNL, 516-344-2698).

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

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.