R1.07/96T3 On-Site Assistance in Novovoronezh NPP

Novovoronezh NPP, located in the Voronezh region of Russia, comprised 5 power units. Units 1 and 2 were VVER-210 and VVER-365 respectively. These were prototype VVER reactors and they operated from 1964 and 1969 until they were shutdown in 1984 and 1990, respectively. Units 3 and 4 were VVER-440, model 179 reactors. These were the first-of-a-kind VVER-440 reactors and were forerunners of the standard series VVER-440 model 230. They started operation in 1971 and 1972, respectively. Unit 5 was a VVER-1000 model 187, which again was the prototype VVER-1000. It started operation in 1980. Units 3, 4 and 5 were still in operation at the time of this contract.

In the framework of the “TACIS Nuclear Safety Programme” it was decided to improve the safety of the Novovoronezh NPP. For this purpose the European Commission (EC) signed consulting contracts with the company RWE Energie AG, which were later implemented solely by Kernkraftwerk Gundremmingen GmbH (KGG). The main objective of these contracts was to improve the nuclear safety of the NPP by transferring know-how to the End User staff and by carrying out specific safety-related projects which include the supply of equipment or spare parts and their installation at the NPP.

The objective of the present contract was to provide the necessary services related to supply projects of the TACIS 96 programme until their completion.

The previous TACIS service contracts R1.07/96T1 and R1.07/96T2 (see 24698 and 24699) for On-site Assistance to Novovoronezh NPP included a number of specific projects, as follows:

• Confinement tightness improvement of Units 3 and 4 (R1.07/96A);
• Replacement of Steam Generator Safety Valves of Unit 5 (R1.07/96B);
• Equipment for Fire Protection Improvement of Units 3 and 4 (R1.07/96C);
• Spare Parts for the Diagnostic Systems in Units 3 and 4 (R1.07/96D);
• Computation of the Fast Neutron Fluence in the RPV of Unit 5 (R1.07/96E);
• Spare Parts of Valves of Unit 5 (R1.07/96F)

Of these projects, only R1.07/96E could be completed during the contract period. Furthermore, only limited support was provided for management of these projects under the subsequent on-site assistance contract (R1.07/97, 25882). Therefore, the present contract was placed with the Consultant KGG.

According to the contract, the Consultant had to provide the EC with the following services:

• Tender evaluations.
• Follow-up of manufacturing, testing and training.
• Follow-up of delivery, installation and acceptance testing at site.
• Assistance during commissioning, provisional acceptance, first time use, warranty follow-up and final acceptance.

The contract with KGG started on 26th February 2001 and ended on 25th February 2005. Within the contract KGG administered and followed-up the above listed specific projects. By the end of the contract project R1.07/96D was completed. Projects R1.07/96B and C had provisional acceptance certificates issued and were in the warranty period. Equipment for projects R1.07/96A and F had been delivered and was awaiting customs clearance prior to installation at the NPP. For all these projects separate, more detailed summaries exist. Their completion was achieved in the framework of follow-on on-site assistance contracts.