- Status
- Closed
Background
U1.03/94
The TACIS 93/94 programme for nuclear safety agreed upon between the European Commission and Ukraine contains provisions for operational safety and near term technical improvements for Ukrainian NPP.
In line with the programme, so called On-Site-Activities had to be implemented through cooperation between NPPs/Utilities in Ukraine and Utilities from the European Union (NPP owners-operators), in the present case through Gemeinschaftskraftwerk Neckar (GKN), a German Utility.
The related Technical Terms of Reference describe the work to be performed by the EU-Utility in the scope of this cooperation with Zaporozhye NPP.
U1.03/95
Within the scope of a large scale on-site assistance programme to Ukrainian NPPs Gemeinschaftskernwerk Neckar GmbH (GKN) was contracted by the European Commission (EC) to provide support for improving the operational safety at Zaporozhye NPP.
Objectives
U1.03/94
Following a meeting held in Kiev in April 1993 between Ukrainian Authorities, and the European Commission, an agreement was reached to define the two first plants to which the Zaporozhye NPP was added later on in the programme corresponding to the 1993/94 TACIS budget.
The aim of the cooperation for the selected EU Utility is to use its experience feedback to allow the Zaporozhye NPP operator to:
- speed-up the implementation of the projects;
- benefit from the transfer of operational experience;
- manage the interface with suppliers.
During the implementation phase of the projects, the Ukrainian Counterpart will define with the Consultant ways and means to extend these on-site operational activities with the aim of supporting the Ukrainian programme to improve the operational safety of the NPP's in Ukraine.
U1.03/95
The general on-site assistance through the continuous presence of GKN experts at the Zaporozhye NPP site was intended to cover the following main areas:
- plant operational and maintenance support;
- safety culture improvement and training activities;
- general coordination of all the specific projects, identification and definition of new projects answering to local needs;
- review and assessment of the existing maintenance strategy;
- study of the concept for periodic tests of pressuriser safety valves;
- listing of armatures and operating devices at Zaporozhye NPP manufactured by western companies;
- establishment of a plant specific modernisation programme for the Zaporozhye NPP.
The Contractor was further responsible to participate in the implementation of the following specific projects:
- spare parts procurement;
- fire protection improvement;
- hydrogen mitigation concept/hydrogen monitoring system;
- repair of safety valves;
- implementation of a technology of repair of VVER-1000 reactor pressure vessel seal housing;
- delivery of a test bench for safety valves adjustment;
- mobile system for diagnostics of valve-actuators;
- physical protection (design and equipment).
Results
U1.03/94
The On-Site-Assistance was rendered in the framework of this project successfully. The scope of work as defined in the attached Terms of Reference of this project has been performed.
Further Information
See attached document U1.03-94 Terms of Reference (excerpt).
U1.03/95
From the above mentioned objectives, the following have been carried out:
General On-Site-Assistance:
This part covered the general assistance to be rendered to the NPP as listed before under the objectives. For this part related reports have been produced to prove the executed activities of this kind.
Assistance in procurement of the above mentioned supply projects
Spare parts procurement
The delivery of important and urgently required spare-parts within TACIS 93/94 budget has been completed during November - December 1997. The last lot of the remaining spare parts has arrived in Energodar on 11 February 1998. Concerning TACIS 95, the clearance process was in progress, when finishing the present project, and concerning TACIS 96, the Contractor has completed preparation of the technical specification.
The general situation with the spare parts procurement has been improved substantially in comparison with previous years, but problems with the custom clearance and local requirements for licensing and certification of the equipment still need precise clarification.
Also, long procurement process and delays with the delivery of the equipment had been encountered, especially in cases when the spare parts did not arrive at site by the maintenance outage during which they are planned to be installed.
It was proposed and agreed at Zaporozhye NPP that it is necessary to establish a unified approach for spare parts procurement for Ukrainian NPPs with the involvement of the Contractor and Procurement Agent from one side, and Energoatom and NPPs departments from the other side. This in fact avoided future of problems and delays during the custom clearance, as it turned out later.
Hydrogen mitigation concept
The contract with the selected supplier SIEMENS has been signed by the European Commission on 7 April 1997 for all six unit of Zaporozhye NPP. The provisional acceptance was planned for autumn 1998 and final acceptance took place at the end of 1999.
Fire protection improvement
The coating of the steel frame structures of the turbine halls with an intumescent material has been completed on all six units. Work was carried out by SVT Brandschutz company with support of the plant in the full scale according to the ToR.
Reactor pressure vessel closure head - sealing concept
The Technical Specification was drafted by the Contractor and signed by the plant and Energoatom, and submitted to the Procurement Agent in March 1998.
Repair of safety valves
A proposal for a direct agreement with the manufacturer of the original valves was submitted to the European Commission in July 1997. The contract signing was planned for August 1997 but has not happened in the duration of this project U1.03/95.
Physical protection
Zaporozhye NPP had already a bilateral contract with the French company CEGELEC regarding physical protection devices and has requested GKN to combine this contract with relevant TACIS activity on site. This was considered too complicated to combine and hence has not been pursued.
Comments
The objectives as set forth at the beginning of the present project have been achieved not in total. Nevertheless the results were considered appropriate by all parties taking into account upcoming difficulties during the project.