U4.01/02- Technical Onsite Assistance to Ukrainian Entities with regard to Chernobyl radwaste facilities. Exclusion Zone monitoring and NPPs equipment maintenance

The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (ChNPP) is located in Polesye region, on the bank of the river Pripyat’. The construction of ChNPP began in 1970. From 1977 till 1984 four power units (each one housed in a separate building) were put into operation. The Units 1 and 2 are first generation RBMK units and Unit 3 and 4 are second generation RBMK Units. Unit 4 suffered a catastrophic accident on 26 April 1986.

Unit 2 was permanently shutdown in October 1991 following a generator fire; and Unit 1 was shut down in November 1996. The European Union together with the other countries and international organizations maintained political pressure on the Ukraine to shut down Unit 3 which was the only remaining unit in operation at the Chernobyl site.

Pursuant to December 1995 “Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)” regarding the closure of ChNPP, the signatories of which were the Governments of the “G-7” countries, the European Commission (EC) and the Government of Ukraine, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved the Resolution for: “Early Closure of Nuclear Power Unit 3 and Final Closure of ChNPP” by the year 2000. As a result, the operation of Chernobyl Unit 3 was terminated on 15 December 2000.

The December 1995 MOU involved a comprehensive program of assistance in order to support Ukraine in the following areas:

• Decommissioning of ChNPP
• Power sector restructuring (market-based electrical power industry)
• Energy investment (completion and rehabilitation of power stations site)
• Shelter Implementation Plan (SIP)
• Social Impact (job opportunities creation).

As a guiding principle, the international loan together with Ukrainian domestic resources will cover revenue generating related projects, whilst international grants together with Ukrainian domestic resources will cover ChNPP decommissioning and rehabilitation related projects.

Project Background

This project was part of the TACIS Nuclear Safety Action Programme 2002 prepared in line with the EC Nuclear Safety Strategy Paper 2002-2006 and Indicative Programme 2002-2003. Initially, a 36-month service contract was awarded to the consortium SGN-EWN-AEAT (Consultant) that provided support to ChNPP as an ‘On-Site Assistance Team’ (OSAT) in the period 1997-2004. In accordance with the ToR (25/02/04) the Consultant had to provide its services through the Chernobyl Waste Projects Coordination Unit (CW-PCU) involving also the End-Users’ managerial and technical staff. The project was to achieve the safe storage decommissioning stage for ChNPP reactor Units 1, 2 and 3 and the dismantling of the Former Solid and Liquid Radioactive Waste Storage Facility, the Former Liquid Radioactive Waste Storage Facility, the Former Solid Radioactive Waste Storage Facility and the Former Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility. The Consultant was to devote much attention to the Industrial Complex for Solid Radioactive Waste Management (ICSRM), both monitoring the project activities and acting as employer’s representative.

Amendment 2 of the Contract with first revision of Terms of Reference

The mandate of the CW-PCU was changed during mid-June 2007. The new role excluded the Consultant from both acting as employer’s representative for the ICSRM Contract, and from providing technical assistance to the End-Users. Specific technical assistance to ChNPP and SSE “Technocentre” was provided through a separate contract based on expressed needs. The changed focus was reflected in the revised title of the Contract: “Assistance to the European Commission and the Beneficiary for the monitoring of projects with regards to Chernobyl radwaste facilities and Exclusion zone monitoring”.

The Consultant’s Consortium was changed comprising SGN and Waste Management Technology (WMT) as a result of an acquisition of the department of AEA Technology. To reflect these changes, the name CW-PCU was changed to Site Monitoring Unit (SMU). The original project title was used in the monitoring reports to maintain consistency in the archives.

Amendment 3 of the Contract with second revision of Terms of Reference

The contract period was extended with 23 months and the tasks were updated to reflect the current status. A new target was added for the Consultant on the dissemination of EC procedures and the announcement of Tenders to incite more potential bidders on the Tenders.

This Contact was aimed at launching and operating a Site Monitoring Unit (SMU) in order to provide assistance to the European Commission and the Beneficiary for the monitoring of implementation of various projects related to Chernobyl Radwaste Facilities and Exclusion Zone Monitoring. The EC Consultant AREVA SGN / INUTEC (WMTL) were chosen through the tender procedure to establish and operate SMU. The overall Contract duration was 6 years; implementation of the original contract Terms of Reference experienced some difficulties , which resulted in a number of contract amendments.

The overall Contract objective was to assist the European Commission in its response to Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (ChNPP) decommissioning issues, namely:
To achieve the safe storage decommissioning stage for ChNPP reactor units 1, 2 and 3, and:

• The achievement of safe management of radioactive waste from:
  • Operation of ChNPP reactor units 1, 2 and 3
  • Decommissioning of ChNPP site
• The establishment of the infrastructure for dismantling of the former radioactive waste storage facilities and the former spent nuclear fuel storage facility:
• Industrial Complex for Solid Radioactive Waste Management (ICSRM)
• Liquid Radioactive Waste Treatment Plant (LRTP)
• Interim Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility (ISF-2)

ICSRM was financed in frame of TACIS Programme managed by the European Commission (EC), whereas LRTP and ISF-2 were financed from Nuclear Safety Account (NSA) managed jointly by European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Ukraine.

Specific objective(s)

• Monitoring and Control the ICSRM Contract on behalf of the European Commission.
• Monitor new Supply and Works Contracts to be awarded in the frame of the Annual Action Programmes (TACIS and the Instrument on Nuclear Safety Cooperation, ‘INSC’).
• Coordinating actions to update the status of inter-connected international projects.
• Contribute to the preparation of Terms of Reference, Technical Specifications and Tender Dossiers of contracts to be awarded in the frame of foreseen projects.
• Disseminate EC procedures and announcement of Tenders in order to incite more potential bidders to participate to Tender.

Scope of work

The following waste projects were included in the scope of the SMU contract:

1. The Industrial Complex for Solid Radioactive Waste Management (ICSRM);
2. Automated system for monitoring the radiological situation (ASMRS);
3. Primary packages production facility (PPPF) and over-packages production facility (OPPF);
4. Early warning system procurement & project monitoring;
5. Buriakovka capacity increasing (BCI) and entrance control system (ECS);
6. Waste Analytic Laboratory (WAL);
7. Long length solid radioactive waste cutting facility (LLWCF);
8. Feasibility Study and Preliminary Design for a near-surface facility for the long-term storage of long-lived high and intermediate level radioactive waste on site of the complex “Vector” in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone
9. ChNPP - SLWS Ventilation System Upgrade (Building 84 VSU); and
10. ChNPP – Hot Commissioning of ICSRM Lots 1 and 2 (HC 1 & 2)

These projects were implemented by various Contractors, each of which were selected through a competitive tender process. The SMU activities focused on supporting the implementation of the above-mentioned projects, coordination between the different projects, technical assistance, monitoring and project oversight as well progress reporting to both the EC and the Beneficiary.

Typical SMU tasks involved: reviewing the procurement Technical Specifications for supply and work contracts, conducting economical analysis, preparing tender evaluation criteria, assisting in preparing tender dossiers, assisting in the evaluation of offers, reviewing the contractor reports, performing the project follow-ups as well as inspections of the construction sites on a regular basis, checking the compliance of project execution to the technical specification, and regular reporting to the EC Project Manager on progress of individual projects.

Additionally, the SMU was responsible for coordination of actions to update the status of inter-linked International Projects funded by the EC and EBRD.

SMU provided assistance to the following Beneficiaries and Recipient End-Users:

• Ministry of Fuel and Energy of Ukraine
  • Separate Enterprise “AtomRemontService” of National Nuclear Energy Generation Company “Energoatom”
• Ministry of Emergencies and Chernobyl Affairs of Ukraine
  • State Department Administration of Exclusion Zone and Zone of Absolute Resettlement
  • State Specialized Enterprise “Chernobyl NPP”
  • State Specialized Enterprise “Technocentre”
  • State Specialised Scientific and Industrial Enterprise “Chernobyl Radioecological Centre”
  • State Specialised Enterprise Complex (“SSE Komplex”)

The SMU, which was financed through the TACIS Programme, provided technical assistance, monitoring and coordination of several large scale radwaste projects that were implemented in the Chernobyl exclusion zone during 2002-2009, and which aimed at providing for safe management of radioactive waste, the decommissioning of ChNPP site, as well as providing the radiation monitoring and early warning system inside the Chernobyl exclusion zone.

At the end of its contract, the SMU handed over its responsibilities related to the coordination and monitoring of ongoing EC funded projects within the Chernobyl exclusion zone to the Joint Support Office (JSO). The JSO was established in Kiev, in December 2004, to support the European Union's TACIS (and later Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation), nuclear safety programme in Ukraine.