The objective(s)

To ensure that Tacis financed safety improvement programme is implemented at the Ukrainian NPPs in compliance with the national regulations and practice, and that the international safety requirements and practices are taken into account.

Specific objective(s):

1) To provide technical support by EU TSOs to the Ukrainian Safety Authority (SNRCU) for its decision-making process related to licensing of safety improvement measures to be implemented at Khmelnitsky, Rovno, South Ukraine and Zaporozhie NPP sites through the Tacis financed modernisation projects.
2) To strengthen the capabilities of SNRCU and SSTC NRS through transfer of know-how, the experience from western practice and training of SSTC experts.

Planned outputs:

Expert assessment reports on different stages of the licensing procedure, namely:

Nuclear Licensing Step 1 (NLS1): conceptual technical decision on modernisation

Nuclear Licensing Step 2 (NLS2): Technical Specification for Procurement, including set of recommendations

Nuclear Licensing Step 3 (NLS3): decision on equipment mounting

Nuclear Licensing Step 4 (NLS4): decision on commissioning

Nuclear Licensing Step 5 (NLS5): decision on implementation of modification on units of the same type

This expert assessment was performed for various NLS for the following projects:

• U1.01/96A “Replacement of Safety Valves of Steam Generators at Unit 3 of RNPP”
• Licensing Activities on U1.01/95 “Replacement of SG Safety Valves at RNPP Units 1, 2”
• Licensing Activities on U1.01/97B “Hydrogen Management in Containment during Operation and Accidents, RNPP 1& 2”
• U4.01/94 Liquid Radioactive Water Processing at RNPP
• U1.01/97A Containment Sumps Protection against Clogging at RNPP Units 1, 2
• U1.02/96A "Fire Protection Improvement on SU NPP"
• U1.02/97A“Replacement of Primary Circuit Thermal Insulation for South Ukrainian NPP”
• U1.02/01A
• U1.03/02 B1-99A “Replacement of the SG Safety Valves at ZNPP 1-6 Units”
• U2.03/96 “Replacement of Pressurizer PORV at ZNPP Units 5, 6”
• U1.03/02 B3 “Replacement SG Feedwater Control Valves Zap NPP, Units 1 to 6”
• U1.03/99B “Modernization Pressurizer PORV at ZNPP Units 1 to 4”
• U1.04/97С Modernization of Reactor Vessel Monitoring System
• Specific Requirements for Control System of Equipment Used for Testing of Cylindrical Part and Bottom of Reactor Vessel
• U1.04/93A Liquid Radioactive Waste Processing
• U1.04/97B Development and Implementation of Equipment and Methodology of Threaded Holes Eddy Current Monitoring at Flanges of Primary Circuit Main Equipment; KhNPP
• U1.01.98/A Replacement of Pressurizer PORV at Units 1, 2 (U1.01/01)
• Improvement of the Fuel Handling Device on Rivne 1&2
• Modernisation of the Service Water System on Zaporizhzya NPP

Four years assistance in licensing of different modernisation measures on all Ukrainian VVER plants allowed SSTC to get better understanding of the relevant practice used in the EU countries. All review reports, provided by SSTC and submitted to SNRCU, included the EU experts’ contributions and contained harmonised SSTC-EU TSO recommendations.

This contract was the first 2+2 contract implemented in Ukraine. Consequently the comprehensive communication between the actors in the project (EC, NAEK, SNRCU, SSTC, Riskaudit, NPPs etc) had been underestimated. This communication was step by step improved and reached generally a good level towards the end of the contract. This improvement was visible in other 2+2 contracts which were running during the final stages of this project.

Many fundamental and detailed comments were provided including requirements for better safety justifications.