Project U3.01/07 - Institutional and Technical cooperation with SNRCU to develop their capabilities on the basis of transferred European safety princples and practices

The purpose is to provide assistance to SNRCU in development and harmonization of the regulatory basis, which will correspond to the world -accepted requirements and standards in different directions of activity.

Development of the new regulatory documents, provisions, guidelines etc., which will comply with the contemporary safety requirements, set out in standards and recommendations of IAEA, WENRA, and in regulatory documents of Nuclear Regulatory Authorities of the leading European countries

The purpose is also to provide assistance to SNRCU in creation and development of a Knowledge Portal and an Information Center.
 

At the time of the project, there are 15 nuclear power-generating units in Ukraine which are located at 4 nuclear sites generating approximately 49% of country’s electrical power. Units 1 to 3 of the Chernobyl NPP (ChNPP) have been shut down and new Shelter Implementation Plan at unit 4 is being implemented. There are uranium ore mining, extraction and processing companies operating in Ukraine. About 5 000 companies and establishments use more than 80 000 radioactive
sources. This means that there is a variety of radioactive waste, including non-standard waste after the accident on the unit 4 of ChNPP, and in the future waste coming from spent nuclear fuel treatment. It is planned in the Energy Strategy of Ukraine till 2030 to double the power of electrical energy to be produced by the NPPs.
The ambitious plans of Ukraine towards the development of the nuclear energy industry as well as the international safety regimes joined by Ukraine oblige Ukraine to have developed governmental regulatory system in the area of nuclear and radiation safety. The main challenges for development and reformation of this governmental regulatory system are as follows:
• Transformation of internal Ukrainian conditions for adhesion negotiations with
the European Union (EU), and in this context approximation of the nuclear
regulatory basis of Ukraine to the regulatory systems of the EU member states;
• Improvement of elements of the regulatory system in accordance with
progressive international practices and recommendations of the international organisations;

• New challenges of the society on the risks reduction in nuclear energy use.

The State Nuclear Regulatory Committee of Ukraine (SNRCU or SNRIU) is the authority regulating nuclear and radiation safety in Ukraine. Starting from 1993 EC provides support to SNRCU and its Technical support organization (TSO) – the State Scientific and Technical Centre for Nuclear and Radiation Safety (SSTC NRS)
through implementation of the TACIS Program on Nuclear Safety.

 

The purpose is to provide assistance to SNRCU in development and harmonization of the regulatory basis, which will correspond to the world-accepted requirements and standards in different directions of activity. The new regulatory documents, provisions, guidelines etc., need to comply with the contemporary safety requirements, set out in standards and recommendations of IAEA, WENRA, and in regulatory documents of Nuclear Regulatory Authorities of the leading European countries. The aim is also to assist SNRCU in creation and development of a Knowledge Portal and an Information Centre.
The specific objectives of the project were the following:
• Development of Ukraine’s regulatory framework in the field of nuclear and
radiation safety and its adaptation to the EU Directives;
• Strengthening of the SNRCU capabilities in decision-making;
• Transfer of western European regulatory methodologies and practices;

• Enhancement of SNRCU public relations (PR) effectiveness, transparency and public confidence.

The project consisted of following tasks (note: the task numbering starts from 2, because task 1 was cancelled at the project inception meeting):
2. Assistance to SNRIU in making regulatory decisions during design,
construction and operation of research reactors, critical and subcritical
assemblies
3. Assistance to SNRIU in adaptation of the existing regulatory documents to the new EC directive on managing high-level ionizing radiation sources
4. Assistance to SNRIU in adaptation of the existing regulatory documents to the new EC directive of 20/11/2006 on supervision and monitoring of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste transportation
5. Assistance to SNRIU in development of the information Centre
6. On-site assistance in improvement of SNRIU decision making process,safety assessment and licensing system
7. Participation of SNRIU personnel in international conferences
The results of the project tasks are briefly summarised below.

TASK 2: ASSISTANCE TO SNRIU IN MAKING REGULATORY DECISIONS DURING DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF RESEARCH REACTORS, CRITICAL AND SUBCRITICAL ASSEMBLIES.

Within this task, the participating EU organisations presented their current regulatory arrangements and practices from the regulatory point of view and licensing experiences of the modern research reactors including safety assessment as an important input. Four research reactors were visited in three EU countries and presentations were provided on their design bases for internal and external initiating
events and other design issues. Licensing experiences were also provided. The following regulatory documents were developed:
• “Safety Provisions for Research Reactors”
• “Requirements for handling of NPP nuclear fuel”

TASK 3: ASSISTANCE TO SNRIU IN ADAPTATION OF THE EXISTING
REGULATORY DOCUMENTS TO THE NEW EC DIRECTIVE ON
MANAGING HIGH-LEVEL IONIZING RADIATION SOURCES.

The task focused on proper adaptation of the Ukrainian national regulatory documents and regulatory infrastructure to the provisions of the high-activity sealed radioactive sources and orphan sources (known as the “HASS directive”). Specificity and significance of solutions concerned to orphan sources were highlighted. The implementation of the IAEA recommendations led to harmonized regulations, and a simple and not demanding way was found for the HASS Directive
transposition. Utilization of traditional legal forms and absence of huge and new legislative tools aimed on relatively strong but quick and easy adoption by the authorities and addressees.

TASK 4: ASSISTANCE TO SNRIU IN ADAPTATION OF THE EXISTING
REGULATORY DOCUMENTS TO THE NEW EC DIRECTIVE OF 20/11/2006 ON SUPERVISION AND MONITORING OF SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL AND RADIOACTIVE WASTE TRANSPORTATION.

Important stages of the task consisted of familiarization with experience of European Union countries in specific areas, drafting of documents and consultations with experts through planned workshops. These workshops gave an opportunity for the exchange of information, presentation of good practices, transfer of methodology and know-how, advice and recommendations from the European Union experts and planning of further activities in the frame of the tasks.
The differences between the EU requirements and the Ukrainian legal system were identified, and based on this analysis, the full package of relevant regulatory documents were developed in order to take into account the provisions of the European directive 2006/117/EURATOM. The majority of relevant provision of the EC Directive 2006/117, taking into account the Ukrainian specificities, was transposed in a draft procedure for approval by a resolution of the Cabinet of
Ministers of Ukraine, and a draft SNRIU order.

TASK 5: ASSISTANCE TO SNRIU IN DEVELOPMENT OF THE
INFORMATION CENTRE.

In this task, experiences were shared concerning the creation and operation of an Information Centre (IC) including information technologies. It stressed the importance of the financial issues (creation, operation, and advertising) and the partnership with schools. SNRIU could analyse and compare concretely various types of ICs during several visits. The task dealt also with the use of social media by a NRA. The experts of SNRIU were familiarised with the best practices using social media in Europe. The EU’s  expert provided recommendations related to the interaction with mass media and
social media and the challenge using the new tools for nuclear regulatory bodies.

TASK 6: ON-SITE ASSISTANCE IN IMPROVEMENT OF SNRIU DECISION MAKING PROCESS, SAFETY ASSESSMENT AND LICENSING SYSTEM.

The task consisted of two subtasks. In subtask 6.1 the objective was to provide EU consultant assistance to SNRIU to solve challenging complex tasks on regulation of nuclear and radiation safety. Subtask 6.2 was an additional consultant support related to the implementation of modernisation programme applied at the Ukrainian NPPs.
The task 6.1 provided support to the SNRIU management to perform its activities in relation to two different topics: A) Construction of the new units of Khmelnitsky 3 and 4, and B) Construction of a plant for the fabrication of nuclear fuel.The essential achievement of the task 6.1.A was to organize and develop an important exchange of information and transfer of Western European experience for the practices for licensing. Different topics were discussed and supported with presentations and additional documents. Within the task 6.1.B, the EU experts transmitted to SNRIU experience on this topic essentially concerning the European situation, confirmed that the general regulatory framework addresses all the important questions, and confirmed that the solutions given are generally close to what is done on the international level. A certain
number of weaknesses were identified, but these could be corrected in a rather short time if the means are given to the safety authority to implement the needed changes. The sub-task 6.2 activities covered the review of the Complex Consolidated Safety Upgraded Program which was developed as part of long-term safety improvement activities for all 15 Ukrainian NPPs. This enabled EU experts to understand the
overall safety and radiation protection improvement process in long-term in Ukraine and to compare it with EU practices and accordingly pertinently to develop recommendations to update the Ukrainian practice.

TASK 7: PARTICIPATION OF SNRIU PERSONNEL IN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES.

Within this task, SNRIU experts participated in following meetings:
• The review meeting for the Convention on Nuclear Safety, Vienna, IAEA headquarters, 4-14 April 2011;
• The 1st European Nuclear Safety Conference (ENSC), Brussels, 28-29 June 2011;
• A visit and conferences about French surface disposal facilities, Centres
ANDRA de l’Aube et de la Manche, 18-20 July 2011;
• The Eurosafe Forum, Paris, 7-8 November 2011