R1.07/98: On-site Assistance Novovoronezh NPP

According to the intention of the European Union and the Russian Ministry of Atomic Power the operational safety assistance at Novovoronezh NPP, which started with TACIS 96, continued with TACIS 98 with the same Western Utility.

Similar to the procedure in TACIS 96 a joint Western/Eastern working team was to be set up to continue the work started in TACIS 96. In the present case KGG (Germany) was the Consultant, contracted by EC to provide operational safety assistance to Novovoronezh NPP.

This particular contract ran concurrently with the TACIS 97 OSA contract for Novovoronezh and did not include follow-up of any equipment supply projects.

The scope of work included only one project: R1.07/98A "Elaboration of Operating Procedures for Units 3 and 4". The normal operating procedures existing at these units at the time did not meet the then latest norms and standards of the Russian Federation, which required formalised approach to all operational steps for safety relevant systems, similar to the approaches used at western NPPs. In cooperation with Novovoronezh NPP, the operating procedures listed in the attached table were elaborated for units 3 and 4.

The following services were performed by the EU Utility and its subcontractor:

• Project preparation
• Discussion and explanation of variants of detailed operating procedures, describing stepwise procedures
• Definition of content, structure and layout of the new procedures in comparison to the old eastern procedures
• Development of an example of operating procedures as an internal standard, under participation of NvNPP staff
• Review and quality assurance of the procedures
• Selection and development of the operating procedures
• Presentation of final procedures at NvNPP
• Project finalisation

The operating procedures were elaborated based on the relevant Russian norms and standards and taking into account the peculiarities of the NvNPP units 3 and 4.

All stages were performed in close cooperation with the End User, and the German subcontractor “HGW”. As it is impossible to create or change operational instructions without local experts which are very familiar with the plant, a subcontractor with local staff was hired by HGW.

Several workshops were held at NvNPP to prepare, guide and supervise the Russian working group.
The workshops were also training for the Russian participants for the implementation and usage of the new instructions as well as training for development of own instructions further on.

At the end of the project the Operation procedures were endorsed by NvNPP and in use at units 3 and 4.