On-site Assistance Novovoronezh

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. 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.
According to this contract RWE had to provide the EC with the following consulting services:
General On-site Assistance (GOSA):
• Starting the permanent assistance on site and intensifying the cooperation between NvNPP and RWE
• Installation of permanent facilities to exchange information and experience and to perform the specific project implementation work.
• Identification and definition of future safety related projects in agreement with Novovoronezh NPP to improve design and operational safety. Assessing their technical and economic feasibility.
• Assistance in the reviews of the completeness and adequacy of ongoing safety improvement programmes.
• Identification of additional staff training requirements and assistance in organising and performing efficient training of plant experts.
• Support to the improvement of selected areas with respect to operationb and management systems, particularly the quality assurance system
• Assistance in the elaboration of the plant modernisation programme
Implementation of specific projects:
• Issuing of technical specifications for call for tenders for equipment supplies.
• Definition of criteria for bids evaluation and participation in the evaluation of bids.
• Cooperation with Russian authorities in the frame of the licensing process.
• Follow-up of on-site construction and installation work when a contract was awarded to a supplier. This also included witnessing of acceptance tests and assistance in commissioning of installations. In case of equipment delivery this also included assistance in training of personnel on the usage and operation of the equipment.
• Checking of invoices from the supplier and awarding a statement of conformity of payment.
On behalf of the EC RWE administered and followed-up under the above project the following specific on-site assistance projects for Novovoronezh NPP:
• 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)
In addition to the above projects RWE carried out preparatory activities for the TACIS 97 specific projects.
Project R1.07/96E (Computation of the Fast Neutron Fluence in the RPV of Unit 5), unlike the other specific projects, was not implemented as a separate contract placed by the EC but was sub-contracted by RWE to NIS Rheinsberg in the framework of the present contract. The objective of the project was to implement a fast neutron fluency computation program for the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) of Unit 5 of the NPP, similar to the programs already in operation for Units 3 and 4. The programs for Units 3 and 4 were also developed by NIS Rheinsberg but had to be adapted for the Unit 5 VVER-1000/187 RPV. Following this adaptation, it might then be easily further adapted for the standard VVER-1000/320 RPVs.

The activities described above were implemented in the framework of 2 contracts placed with the Consultant RWE. The first contract (24698) covered the general on-site assistance (GOSA) activities and the second contract (24699) covered the implementation of the specific projects.
The consulting contracts with RWE started on 13th June 1997 and ended on 13th January 1999. Within those contracts RWE administered and followed-up the above listed general on-site assistance and specific projects. By the end of the contract the Technical Specifications were prepared for the above mentioned specific projects R1.07/96A, B and F. The scope and contracting strategy for projects R1.07/96C and D were still under discussion. For all these projects separate, more detailed summaries exist. Their completion was achieved in the framework of follow-on on-site assistance contracts.
Project R1.07/96E was completed during the course of the present contract.