A1.01/04 - On-site Assistance to Medzamor Armenia NPP (ref AP 7.3.1.1)

In the frame of the European TACIS 2004 Programme the EC has funded a series of activities to be performed to improve the safety of Medzamor Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (ANPP) in Armenia. The On-site assistance (OSA) objective is therefore to assist the Armenia NPP in safety improvement through the Soft activities (safety culture, operationg procedures and training, etc), and Hard activities (equipment supply projects).

Since 1997, Sogin has been operating as Western European Consultant for EC in coordinating the EC actions under the TACIS Programme through the On Site Assistance (OSA) Activities dedicated to Medzamor Nuclear Plant, the Beneficiary/End Use of the project.
The TACIS project A1.01/04 has been performed in a 20 months period ranging from September 6th 2005 to May 6th 2007 and has been carried out under the development of 3 principal activity lines:
General On-Site Assistance,
Soft On-Site Assistance,
Hard On-Site Assistance
The contractual activities related to management and technical coordination, transfer of operational assistance for safety improvement, and development of technical specification and Decision on Modernization have been covered. Licensing activities according to the so called “2+2” approach have been performed as well.
Feedback from other TACIS projects, identification of ANPP future needs and follow up and implementation of previous TACIS Projects have also been accomplished.
The scope of work, in addition to the General Operational Assistance, initially included the following activities:
a) Soft OSA activities:
Support to the development and update of Normal and Abnormal Operating Procedures
Support in management of Operating Procedures validation
Support to the implementation of the revised Plant Technical Specifications
Characterisation of the radioactive wastes existing on site
b) Hard OSA activities:
The following projects were completed:
A1.01/00B2 - Reactor Head Venting System – Provisional Acceptance to be issued once discussion with the Supplier on delivery of one additional sensor is solved. Final Acceptance will follow 2 years after the issue of the Provisional Acceptance
A1.01/00B3 - Source Range Neutron Flux Monitoring System. Contract 2002/030-574. Some pending issue to be resolved during warranty period before the issue of the Final Acceptance planned in January 2008.
Project A1.01/00B4 - Modernization of radiation monitoring system. Final acceptance in December 2007.
Project A1.01/00B5 - Primary and Secondary Water Chemistry. Contract 2003/072-771. Final Acceptance expected by September 2007.
Project A1.01/00C2 - Jet vortex Condenser and Related materials and components. Final Acceptance expected by July 2007.
Project A1.01/ - Vehicle Procurement. Final Acceptance expected by April 2008.
Project A1.01/03A - Improvement of Steam Generator Water Level Control System, Contract 76905. Provisional Acceptance certificate was issued on the 18th of December 2006. Final Acceptance is expected by December 2008.
Follow-up of TACIS 2000 (PIP) and 2003 (re-programmed) equipment projects to the next Programme as the allocated budget was re-oriented for financing the supporting activities for the installation of equipment procured in the framework of the Project A1.01/00 B3 ”Neutron Flux Source Range Monitoring System”.