June 21, 1996
Prepared by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington

RUSSIA

Safety Parameter Display System for Leningrad Unit 3. Staff from Parsons Power, Westinghouse Electric Company, and RDIPE visited the Leningrad plant on June 11, 1996 to begin the safety parameter display system project for this plant. A safety parameter display system provides plant operators with information needed to control the plant in the event of an accident.

The first safety parameter display system at Leningrad nuclear power plant (NPP) will be installed in Unit 3, which is currently on extended outage. Installation of a safety parameter display system can be done only when the plant is shutdown. Leningrad Unit 3 is scheduled to restart early in 1997. The installation of the safety parameter display system is scheduled to be completed by that time. A memorandum of understanding was signed with the plant representatives that outlines how the project will be implemented. A meeting is planned for July to finalize a set of specifications, which conform to the specific requirements for Leningrad Unit 3 versus the prototype safety parameter display system being installed at Kursk. (Rich Denning, PNNL, 614-424-7412; Norm Fletcher, DOE, 301-903-3275)

Quality Assurance Workshop. Gosatomnadzor (GAN) staff participated in a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-International Nuclear Safety Program (INSP) seminar, Quality Assurance in the Operation of Nuclear Research Reactors and Fuel Facilities, at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) on June 17-18, 1996. BNL staff from the high flux beam reactor, and quality assurance staff from the DOE-BNL area office presented information on the application of quality assurance principles to the operation of the high flux beam reactor. They included discussions of basic quality assurance principles, federal law, DOE Orders and Rules, and high flux beam reactor quality assurance plans and procedures. The presentations provided an opportunity for lively interactions with the GAN staff, who showed great interest in the materials presented. The GAN staff expressed interest in future interactions with the United States on issues related to quality assurance. (Ted Ginsberg, BNL, 516-344-2620).

Balakovo NPP Training. Representatives from Balakovo NPP completed a 2-week training session at the Sonalysts, Inc. facilities at Waterford, Connecticut. Significant progress was made on the electrical maintenance training program and pilot course. The pilot course is scheduled to be presented in September 1996. The training included visits to Seabrook, Indian Point-3, and Millstone NPPs, where the Balakovo representatives had the opportunity to tour maintenance training facilities and discuss training programs with maintenance instructors and training managers. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575).

UKRAINE

Safety Parameter Display System for Chornobyl Unit 3. Staff from Parsons Power, Westinghouse Electric Company, and RDIPE signed a memorandum of understanding with Chornobyl NPP when they visited the Chornobyl plant on June 13, 1996, to begin the safety parameter display system project for Unit 3. The memorandum of understanding outlines how the project will be implemented. In July, the project team will meet with representatives from INSP, Chornobyl NPP and Goscomatom to reach agreement on specifications for the Chornobyl Unit 3 safety parameter display system. The specifications will address the specific requirements for this plant versus the prototype safety parameter display system being installed at Kursk. Participants are also scheduled to discuss and agree on the roles and responsibilities of each of the parties. (Rich Denning, PNNL, 614-424-7412; Norm Fletcher, DOE, 301-903-3275)

Khmelnytskyy NPP Training. BNL provided General Physics Corporation with samples of the conductivity and Ph meters to be used in the Khmelnytskyy NPP by chemical operations personnel and in the chemical operator training program. General Physics Corporation, a U.S. firm that specializes in nuclear training, will develop training materials for use of the meters. Khmelnytskyy NPP will then adapt the materials for their use and incorporate them into the chemical operator pilot training course. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

CROSS-CUTTING ACTIVITIES

Management and Operational Controls. The project team for developing and implementing management and operational controls procedures met at Doel NPP, Belgium on June 10-14. The World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) coordinated the meeting. This location was chosen to allow participants the opportunity to study implementation of similar procedures at a non-U.S. and non-Soviet designed NPP. The team conducted technical reviews of draft procedures and planned steps to complete implementation of the procedures at pilot plants in countries with Soviet-designed NPPs. Attendees included representatives from Armenia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania, Russia, Slovakia, Ukraine, and the United States. (Dennis Meyers, DOE, 202-586-7834)

PLANNED ACTIVITIES

June 21-July 2 -- Chornobyl NPP, Ukraine.
A workshop on developing and implementing EOIs will be held at Chornobyl NPP. Following the workshop, participants will identify deliverables and agree on a schedule for future work. In addition, work will begin on implementing new Management and Operational Controls procedures at Chornobyl NPP. (Dennis Meyers, DOE, 202-586-7834)

June 22-29 -- Crete, Greece.
Representatives from INSP will participate in the International Atomic Energy Agency conference on "Risk Issues for Soviet-Designed Reactors." (Dan Giessing, DOE, 301-903-2852)

June 23-29 -- Darmstadt, Germany.
Risk scenarios associated with the Chornobyl shelter will be discussed at a meeting of the European Commission Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant Project (EC Shelter Project). Representatives from INSP will attend. (Dan Giessing, DOE, 301-903-2852)

June 23-29 -- Moscow, Russia.
Members of the Kola In-Depth Safety Analysis (KOLISA) project team will meet to review project guidelines, conduct a plant walkdown, and introduce human reliability concepts. (Walt Pasedag, DOE, 301-903-3628)

*June 24-28 -- Kursk, Russia.
Staff from Bechtel will visit the Atomremmash facility to sign a contract to purchase fire doors for the Smolensk NPP. (Rich Denning, PNNL, 614-424-7412)

June 24-28 -- Khmelnytskyy NPP, Ukraine.
General Physics Corporation personnel and staff from Khmelnytskyy staff will continue development of training courses for the refueling floor operators, chemical operators, and control room reactor operators. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

June 24-28 -- Kozloduy NPP, Bulgaria.
There will be an emergency operating instruction (EOI) development workshop at Kozloduy NPP. Participants will include representatives from all VVER-440/230 and VVER-1000 NPPs. (Kent Faris, PNNL, 509-372-4068)

June 24-29 -- Vilnius, Lithuania.
INSP representatives will attend meetings to discuss RBMK input model development, computer code assessment activities, and plant calculations. A project plan for the validation of the RELAP5 computer code for application to RBMK reactors will be developed. (Walt Pasedag, DOE, 301-903-3628)

June 29-July 3 -- Moscow, Russia.
Management and technical staff from Electrogorsk Research and Engineering Center will meet with U.S. specialists. Instrumentation issues at the Electrogorsk test facility, which provides data for validating computer codes to be used in VVER-1000 reactor safety analyses, will be discussed. DOE plans to provide the facility with surplus two-phase flow instrumentation to help resolve the issues. (Walt Pasedag, DOE, 301-903-3628)

*July 1-6 -- Moscow, Russia.
U.S. specialists will participate in meetings to develop a detailed work scope for the Leningrad NPP deterministic safety analysis project. This activity is part of an international cooperative effort to develop a probabilistic risk assessment for the Leningrad NPP Unit 2. (Walt Pasedag, DOE, 301-903-3628)

*July 7-13 -- Khmelnytskyy NPP, Ukraine.
Representatives from INSP and S3 Technologies will visit Energotraining, Kyiv, where the control panels for full-scope simulators are being completed. The main panel sections, Units 1-6, will be inspected before shipment. A visit to the Khmelnytskyy NPP is also planned to determine the status of the Training Center, which must be ready to accept the delivery of the control panels. (Peter Kohut, BNL, 516-344-4982)

July 8-19 -- Kozloduy NPP, Bulgaria.
Sonalysts and General Physics personnel will work with Kozloduy NPP staff on the development of the control room reactor operator training program. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

July 8-22 -- Chornobyl NPP, Ukraine.
U.S. staff will coordinate the installation of equipment for the satellite linking PNNL with the Chornobyl Center for Nuclear Safety, Radioactive Waste and Radioecology. Once the system is operational, staff from Chornobyl NPP will be trained in its operation and basic troubleshooting. (Dan Giessing, DOE, 301-903-2852)

*July 9-16 -- Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia.
INSP, Kurchatov Institute, and Minatom representatives will meet with senior staff from Leningrad NPP regarding the RBMK site-specific decommissioning study. This project is a joint U.S.-Russian effort to develop a safe, technically feasible, decommissioning strategy for Leningrad Unit 1, a first generation RBMK reactor. (Rich Reister, DOE, 301-903-0234)

*July 13-18 -- Visaginas, Lithuania.
A team of INSP specialists will begin meetings on the Ignalina NPP Unit 2 Module Upgrade Project. The project will design, manufacture, and deliver replacement safety instrumentation and control modules to the plant. (Norm Fletcher, DOE, 301-903-3275)

July 15-17 -- Paris, France.
There will be a third and final meeting of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) support group on Soviet-designed nuclear reactors. Participants are expected to approve their final draft report. (John Honekamp, PNNL, 509-372-6415)

July 15-19 -- Balakovo NPP, Russia.
Sonalysts, Inc. personnel and Balakovo NPP staff will implement the pilot electrical operations training course. They will continue development of the electrical maintenance, water chemistry, and radiation protection pilot training courses and the simulator instructor specialized training project. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

July 15-26 -- Chornobyl NPP, Ukraine.
General Physics and Chornobyl specialists will work on the continued development of the control room reactor operator training program. (Sonja Haber, BNL, 516-344-3575)

July 19-August 3 -- Metsamor, Armenia.
INSP team members will meet with Metsamor NPP staff for discussions on EOIs, management and operational safety, and training. (Kent Faris, PNNL, 509-372-4068)

*July 22-24 - Kyiv, Ukraine.
Representatives from INSP, Parsons Power, Westinghouse, Chornobyl NPP and Goscomatom will meet to reach agreement on a conformed specification for the Chornobyl Unit 3 safety parameter display system and sign a memorandum of understanding on roles and responsibilities. (Rich Denning, PNNL, 614-424-7412)

July 22-26 -- Brussels, Belgium, and Rivne NPP, Ukraine.
Representatives from Burns and Roe and INSP will meet in Brussels with representatives from a European community program of Technical Assistance to the Commonwealth of Independent States (TACIS). The team will then travel to Rivne NPP to discuss the activities required to provide a safety parameter display system compatible with the planned TACIS upgrades of the Rivne instrumentation and control systems. (Rich Reister, DOE, 301-903-0234)

*July TBD -- St. Petersburg, Russia.
Staff from INSP, Parsons Power, Westinghouse, and Leningrad NPP will meet to reach agreement on a conformed specification for the Leningrad Unit 3 safety parameter display system. (Rich Denning, PNNL, 614-424-7412)

July TBD -- Kursk NPP, Russia.
U.S. specialists 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)

August 26-30 -- Kola NPP, Russia.
There will be a VVER-440/213 EOI working group meeting at Kola NPP. Representatives from all VVER-440/213 NPPs are scheduled to attend. (Kent Faris, PNNL, 509-372-4068)

August 26-30 -- Ignalina NPP, Lithuania.
There will be an RBMK EOI working group meeting at Ignalina NPP. Representatives from all RBMK NPPs are scheduled to attend. (Kent Faris, PNNL, 509-372-4068)

September 9-13 -- Kozloduy NPP, Bulgaria.
There will be a VVER-1000 EOI working group meeting at Kozloduy NPP. Representatives from all VVER-1000 NPPs are scheduled to attend. (Kent Faris, PNNL, 509-372-4068)

November 4-8 -- Kozloduy NPP, Bulgaria.
There will be a VVER-440/230 EOI working group meeting at Kozloduy NPP. Representatives from all VVER-440/230 NPPs are scheduled to attend. (Kent Faris, PNNL, 509-372-4068)

November 4-8 -- 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)

December 9-13 -- Bohunice NPP, Slovakia.
There will be a VVER-440/213 EOI working group meeting at Bohunice NPP. Representatives from all VVER-440/213 NPPs are scheduled to attend. (Kent Faris, PNNL, 509-372-4068)

---------------
"*" 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.