Month: March 2019

On March 28, 2019, a regular technical meeting of the U4.01 / 14C Project Working Group took place with the participation of representatives of the consortium and a wide range of stakeholders, namely: the Beneficiary, the State Agency for the Exclusion Zone Managements (SAUMEZ), the End User – the State Corporation “Ukrainian State Association “Radon” (SC “Ukr SA”Radon”), the State Interregional Specialized Plants (SISP), which are part of the SC “Ukr SA”Radon”, with participation of technical experts, Key and Non-key project experts (from “Ukratominstruments” Corporation, Brenk, DMT and Plejades), experts of the JSO, Joint Support Office, Regulator’s Representatives, and other stakeholders of the project.

The technical meeting summed up the work on the implementation of Task 2 Project U4.01/14C, namely, the analysis of input data for safety assessment and the development of typical technical solutions, and outlined the main directions of work for the current and future Project Tasks to coordinate the further steps.

The following presentations were presented to the attention of the participants:

• General characteristics and key features of the existing situation at SISP sites;
• Sufficiency of available input data for the project purposes;
• Recommendations regarding possible ways of acquiring missing data;
• Preliminary analysis of uncertainties and their impact on safety assessments and development of standard technical solutions under the project;
• Results of previously implemented or on-going national and international projects;
• Analysis of a set of specialized computer codes used by SC UkrSA Radon for safety assessment;
• Preliminary conclusion for measures at the SISP sites;
• Analysis of the project risks;
• Next project steps related to Task 3: Comprehensive Safety Assessment and Task 5: Standardized Technical Solution: Recommendations.

Therefore, based on the results of consideration and discussion of the available summary information from the Consultant, Priorities for Beneficiaries and End Users, the exchange of preliminary results, the main objective of the technical meeting of the project was successfully achieved – a clear definition of the next steps to foster the project implementation. The technical meetings initiated by the “Ukratominstruments” Corporation are an effective tool for ensuring the consideration of each expert’s opinion and the formation and implementation of a joint strategy for the successful implementation of each of the further Project Tasks. Consequently, the corporation is approaching the process of organizing and holding joint technical meetings with all seriousness.

The materials of the technical meeting form the basis of the drafted Task 2 Report, which has already been forwarded to the Beneficiary and the End User for consideration and approval.

Recall that the overall objectives of this international technical assistance project are:

• Implementation of comprehensive safety assessments for the five SISP of SC “Ukr SA”Radon” (Kiev, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Odesa and Lviv SISP) and determination of the current condition of the “problematic” storages;
• Transfer of sustainable capability to the SC “Ukr SA”Radon” in safety assessment by conducting qualified training for designated End-user specialists, both in Ukraine and abroad;
• Design of remediation measures for problematic storages located at five End user sites: developing the report with typical technical solutions, Remediation roadmap, related design documentation and safety case and subsequent Regulator approval.

It will be recalled, as of the day Ukraine exports spent fuel from Rivne, Khmelnytsky and Yuzhnoukrainska NPPs for temporary storage to Russia annually spending 150-200 million $. On June 7, 2017, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine adopted Resolution No. 380-p “About approval of the project” Construction of the Centralized Spent Fuel Storage Facility for spent nuclear fuel reactors of the VVER type of domestic nuclear power plants”. The contractor in providing technology for the storage and production of exclusive equipment is the American company “Holtec International”, while the function of operation of the storage facility is entrusted to SE “NNEGC” Energoatom”. The contractor is PJSC “Ukrenergomontazh”. The introduction of CSFSF in operation is scheduled for March 2020.
An important issue during the operation of the CSFSF is the maintenance of a high level of radiation safety in the process of performing technological operations, automated continuous monitoring of the operational situation at the facility, as well as the prevention of emergencies. This task is provided by the radiation monitoring system (RMS).
In February 2019, the “Ukratominstruments” corporation entered into an agreement with PJSC “Ukrenergomontazh” for the development and implementation of the RMS of the CSFSF. Within the framework of the contract, works on the development of design solutions, operational documentation, preparation for the introduction into operation, personnel training, commissioning, assembly and testing will be carried out.
In order to improve the environmental radio ecological state control in the Chernobyl exclusion zone, the data from the RMS system of CSFSF will be integrated into the comprehensive radiation monitoring and early warning system (CRMEWS), which was developed and put into operation by “Ukratominstruments” corporation in 2011.
So way, participation in this project is one of the priority directions of the “Ukratominstruments” corporation activity. The management of the Corporation expressed the wish to strengthen and further develop a long-term mutually beneficial cooperation with the NAEK “Energoatom”.

On March 18, 2019, “Ukratominstruments” corporation started installation works in the framework of the project on transferring of a local boiler-house on the 14A Kupchynsky Street to a biofuel in Ternopil. A large-scale energy saving project involves the use of modern technology that will allow the local community to significantly reduce utility costs.
At the stage that has started, in the near future, the Corporation will install and connect the equipment (incl. auxiliary equipment), as well as the electrical part and automation system. In addition, the facility will be equipped with modern fire alarm and automatic fire extinguishing systems. In this case, internal sealed fire doors will be installed and the emergency exit from the building will be mounted.
Taking into account long-term experience and constant corporate traditions, during the performance of the above-mentioned works, the “Ukratominstruments” corporation will ensure strict compliance with high safety standards at the production site.

On March 2019, the “Ukratominstruments” corporation and international consortium experts of the EC Project U4.01/14C “Comprehensive Safety Assessment of Radioactive Waste Management Sites operated by State Corporation “Ukrainian State Association ‘Radon’ and Design of Remediation for Specific Facilities”, finalized the visits to separate RAW management facilities that are thepart of the State Corporation” Ukrainian State Association “Radon” (hereinafter – the SC “Ukr SA “Radon”), by carrying out the visit to the Lviv SISP.

Therefore, the priorities for all project participants and stakeholders in the framework of Task 2 Project performance are implemented in full. In its turn, this has ensured a gradual transition to the implementation of the following, no less important Project Objectives, namely, the Comprehensive Safety Assessment and the development of a Standardized Project Technical Solution.
Purpose of Lviv SISP visit is familiarization with the key features of the existing situation on the radioactive waste management on the SISP’s sites in order to summarize the results and verify the adequacy of the data and documents available, make recommendations and conclusions on the measures that are to be implemented to the extent priority, as well as – to conduct preliminary analysis of uncertainties and their impact on future safety assessments and development of standard technical solutions within the project.

The attention of specialists in particular was focused on the study of:

• Engineering-geological characteristics of problematic RAW sites
• Physical-geographical characteristics of the territory
• Particularities of the use of land resources located in the sanitary protection zone
• Demographic data of the nearest settlements
• Technical condition of the Liquid Radioactive Waste (LRW) storages Solid Radioactive Waste (SRW) storages, and other facilities of the Radon SISP
• Nuclide condition of radioactive waste storages
• Basic technological processes
• as well as obtaining general information about problematic RW Lviv SISP sites.

The collected data have become a significant contribution to the development of the of the Task 2 Project Technical Report which is already sent to the End User and the Beneficiary for consideration and approval.

FYI: the overall objective of this international technical assistance project is to implement comprehensive safety assessments for five specialized facilities of the State Corporation “Ukrainian State Association ‘Radon’ and to develop measures for rehabilitation and remediation for problematic storages.