ASSESSMENT OF RUS NUCLEAR SAFETY PROGRAMME

In July 1992, in the framework of the TACIS 1991 programme, the Commission started discussions with the TPEG (Twinning Programme Engineering Group), a consortium of the Community operators, concerning a methodology for the establishment and management of an EC Masterplan designed to establish a coherent policy framework for the Nuclear Safety activities vis à vis the relevant new independent states of the former Soviet Union and Central and Eastern European countries over a period of 4 to 5 years.

The purpose of the Master Plan was to define, in a consistent pluriannual approach, all the actions to be undertaken on the various types of nuclear facilities of ex-Soviet design, regardless of the country concerned, and whether the funding was of EC origin or otherwise.

Responsibility for the preparation of the Master Plan was given to TPEG through a number of contracts (see e.g. Contract 22114). During the preparation of the Master Plan and through discussions with the various actors involved in the PHARE and TACIS Programmes, a list of high priority short term activities was proposed by the EC in line with the proposals contained in the first versions of the Master Plan.

One of the actions requested a critical assessment of the Russian programmes for improving nuclear safety, with the aim of providing input for the TACIS ’93 programme for “Operational safety and near term technical improvements”. In order to make such an assessment, a comprehensive list of the available information had to be compiled and this information had to be categorised and analysed in a systematic review.

The objective of the present contract was to review the Russian programme for improving nuclear safety of:

• nuclear reactors in operation (VVER, RBMK, FBR)
• fuel cycle facilities and waste management

The review would to be performed on the basis of the documents available at the EC, including:

• G24 data bank
• Schedules for the technical updating and modernisation of units of NPP of Rosenergoatom
• Priority tasks and implementation phases in retrofitting and modernising of VVER 440 units in the Russian Federation (Rosenergoatom)
• The question of the modernisation and retrofitting of NPPs with RBMK and EGP-6 reactors (Rosenergoatom)
• The list of projects requested by Russia to be financed by the EC.

Available IAEA and WANO documents would also be used in the assessment.

In addition, the European actors mentioned in the ‘Master Plan’ would be consulted, in order to obtain from them the elements of the Russian Programme in their sphere of activity. At the time, these European actors were:

• Nuclear Engineering Groups (ENAC, RBMK Consortium)
• Fuel Cycle Consortium (EFCC)
• Waste Management Consortium (Cassiopee)
• European nuclear utilities involved in On-Site Assistance at the NPPs in Russia
• Consultants already involved in the TACIS and PHARE programmes.

Additionally, the Consultant would also establish contacts with the TSOG (Technical Support Organisation Group) as appropriate for the fulfilment of the tasks of the contract.

The following deliverables were requested:

• A critical assessment of the Russian programmes, presenting any internal contradictions and short comings
• A synthesis of the Russian programmes with bar charts and budget figures (where available)
• A draft of the TACIS ’93 “Operational safety and near term technical improvements” programme with a PDS (Project Description Sheet) for each of the selected projects and a related budget estimate
• A complete file of all relevant documents.

The contract was signed on 9 July 1993 and became effective on 8 August 1993 with a duration of 3 months.

The activities were carried out according to the objectives described above.