Summary

This project has been the last in a series of three that has assisted VATESI in developing their regulatory methods and practices in accordance with of Western European Regulatory Methodology and Practices.

This third year project technical tasks have addressed the area of Licensing Procedures and the area of Inspection of Pressurised Components. The objectives of the technical tasks (in all six subtasks) have been met

The general objective of this project was to strengthen and enhance the effectiveness of the nuclear safety regime in
Lithuania/>/> and to improve the organisation and performance of VATESI. More specifically, the work was devoted to:

• Complete the results from the Second Year Programme to be fully integrated in the current VATESI's regulatory process.
• Relate to and assist the work in high priority regulatory tasks that VATESI is pursuing.

The objectives of the current project were the following:

• To assist VATESI in the implementation of regulatory control activities during and after issuing of a license for Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant (INPP) Unit 2, especially the interaction between the different departments of VATESI.
• />To advise VATESI on how to further transfer to INPP the role of assessing INPP subcontractors.
• To further develop the document handling system and to implement the respective soft- and hardware into the system
• 
  />/>/>To finalise the draft VATESI Guide on Inspection and Functional Testing of Pressure Retaining Components (prepared during the Second Year Programme)
• To finalise the draft VATESI Guide on Safety Classification of Nuclear Power Plant Systems, Structures and Components (to complement the existing VATESI Guide on In-Service Inspection (ISI)).
• To assist VATESI in preparing specific regulatory guidance in the area of IGSCC in RBMK piping, taking into account experience and results from the IAEA Extra Budgetary Programme on 'Mitigation of Intergranular Stress Corrosion Cracking (IGSCC) in RBMK Reactors'.

In main parts this project comprises is the direct continuation of activities worked on in previous projects. Several other Phare-financed activities have been ongoing in support of VATESI during the same period as this one has been implemented. Coordination between the different activities has therefore been carefully observed.

Technical assistance was provided by implementing two main tasks:

Task A: Development of Licensing Procedures.

This task was further divided in three subtasks:

• Subtask A.1: Implementation of regulatory control activities during and after issuing of a licence for Ignalina NPP unit 2, especially the interaction between the different departments of VATESI. Selected inspection areas were INPP management of Ageing and of Equipment Qualification.
• Subtask A.2: VATESI regulatory guide on assessment of Ignalina NPP subcontractors.
• Subtask A.3: Document handling system.

Task B: Inspection of pressurised components. This task was further divided in three subtasks:

• Subtask B.1: VATESI guide on Inspection and Functional Testing of Pressure Retaining Components.
• Subtask B.2: VATESI guide on Safety Classification of Nuclear Power Plant Systems, Structures and Components.
• Subtask B.3: Regulatory guidance in IGSCC in RBMK piping.

A managerial task, Task M, was also formed for handling of management and administrative matters.

Beneficiary Organizations Details

State Nuclear Power Safery Inspactorate VATESI: http://www.vatesi.lt.

Project Aims

This project was a continuation of LI/RA/01 and LI/RA/02, which were implemented in 95/96 and 98/99 years respectively. The main objective was to strengthen and enhance the effectiveness of the nuclear safety regime in Lithuania and to improve the organization and performance of the Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (VATESI).

Project Results

Transferring Western European Regulatory Methodology and Practices to the Safety Authority directly by its Western European peer Organizations.

The total costs of thes project were 400 000 eur.

Further Project Results

Further information on the project could be sought from the beneficiary organization.