Invest. Impact of Spent Nuclear Fuel

This project is the continuation of the project R5.01/94 (see contract 23425).

The Russian Federation decided to transform and reinforce its State System of Accountancy and Control (SSAC) of nuclear materials. The kernel of this improvement was the implementation of modern SSAC approaches based on international experience.

At the basis of the new system, following the example of other national or regional systems, it was planned to have an institutional framework of laboratories giving reference and traceability to national and international measurement standards. Methodological support and training were also planned as part of the NMA&C system.

One of the areas identified as a primary need for co-operative assistance was 'Education and Training', which was, at the time, considered a very important component for the future implementation of the new approach to nuclear safeguards in Russia. Considering the large number of nuclear plants in the RF and their large size, it was expected that several hundreds of nuclear material accountancy personnel and safeguards inspectors would need to become familiar with the application of the new concepts, regulations, techniques and procedures.

The Russian methodology and training centre RMTC had been established to provide education and training in NMA&C for a major part of the Russian fuel cycle. It was intended that this training and education should reflect and support the objectives of the Russian system.

The range of training courses and tools (equipment, standards, reference materials) provided to RMTC was intended to cover the assay of many of the major types of nuclear materials occurring in the Russian fuel cycle, as well as accountancy implementation in the different facility types existing in the Russian Federation, i.e. enrichment facilities, fabrication facilities, reprocessing facilities, nuclear power plants (NPPs) and waste conditioning and repositories facilities.

The tasks of the RMTC would be the following:

Education, training and technology transfer
Development and testing of methods
Calibration of instruments and test of procedures
Traceability of field measurements to primary standards

This second phase of the project for the establishment of the Russian Methodology and Training Centre (RMTC) at IPPE, Obninsk, comprises the installation of four training/calibration positions at the IPPE:

Computerised Nuclear Materials Accountancy position
Scales/weight calibration position
Non destructive Assay position: neutron assay
Non destructive Assay position: gamma spectrometry
These positions are to be furnished with the equipment specified in Phase 1 of the project.

Purpose of this project was to manage the Tender for the equipment intended for the Russian Training Centre (RMTC), coordinating different aspects of the tender preparation, technical specifications, criteria for evaluation, reception of technical and commercial offers, technical and commercial evaluation, performing technical reception tests of the equipment at the JRC-Ispra.

Equipments for the tender were:

scales and standard weights
neutron and gamma equipment:
a passive bulk neutron coincidence counter for Pu samples
an active bulk neutron coincidence counter for U samples
a passive neutron waste drum monitor
a low resolution gamma spectrometry set
a high resolution gamma spectrometry set
The equipment was divided in 7 lots and competitively tendered.

The lots were tendered by a Procurement Agent and the offers were analysed by a tender evaluation committee, following pre-established criteria. The contracts were awarded as follows:

Lot 1: Computer equipment ICL (UK)
Lot 2: Scales Sartorius (G)
Lot 3: Neutron Counter Equipments Eurisys Mesures (F)
Lot 4: Waste Drum Monitor Eurisys Mesures
Lot 5: Frequency Analyser Antech (UK)
Lot 6: Uranium and Plutonium Detectors Canberra
Lot 7: Measurement Equipment Eurisys Mesures (B)
Lots 1 and 2 were tested at manufacturer's premises and sent to Obninsk.

Lots 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 were dispatched to JRC Ispra and a testing campaign to verify compliance with the specifications was organised in September 1998, with the participation of the beneficiary and of the companies providing the equipment. Some minor problems with some of the equipment were reported to the suppliers for resolution prior to final shipment to Obninsk and installation in the RMTC.

The contract was signed in December 1995.

The activities foreseen in the contract ToR were successfully carried out and the deliverables provided. Some delays not related with the JRC activities but with the customs in the Russian Federation prevented some equipment being sent to Obninsk on schedule. For this reason, the Contractor continued to perform some activities related to the installation and testing of the equipment at site, at his own expense, after the expiry of the contract.

The equipment, worth €733 153 in total, was finally delivered to the Beneficiary, installed and put into operation. For the equipment supply contracts, see R5/94 (5 separate contracts).

For the third phase of the project see follow-on project R5.01/95 (contract 24798).