Objectives

The overall objective of this project was to strengthen the capability of the Ukrainian safety authority and the State scientific and technical center on nuclear and radiation safety (SSTC, its technical support organisation) to perform the safety assessment and the licensing of nuclear power plants in operation or under construction. The project aimed to provide assistance in the utilisation of main European accident analysis codes to perform accident analysis calculations and safety assessments. In addition it provided immediate support and assistance to the ongoing licensing activities and generated trained experts for further work.

Project Results

1. Technical infrastructure

The specifications for new equipment (hardware) needed to efficiently run accident codes were determined and agreed with the beneficiaries. The task of providing the beneficiary with the equipment (hardware) was relegated to EC procurement agent in Ukraine (the agent’s procurement is outside the scope of this project).

2. Information support and assistance in mastering and application of thermal hydraulics codes

The German computer codes ATHLET and RALOC/DRASYS and the French computer code CATHARE were transferred to the beneficiaries, implemented on the existing hardware and put into operation. Ukrainian experts were trained extensively in application of the codes to specific questions of modelling and simulation of transients. The training was performed in the EU as well as at the contractor’s premises in the Ukraine and on site.

3. Information support and assistance in mastering and application of severe accident codes

The French computer codes ESCADRE and ICARE2 were transferred to the beneficiaries, implemented on the existing hardware and put into operation. Extensive training was performed and the application of the codes to NPP system calculations was discussed in detail.

In addition, a database for a VVER-1000 type NPP (reference unit Khmelnitsky unit 2) was developed. It represents an important source of information for the generation of input decks for thermal-hydraulic codes.