1) Background
ROVNO NPP (RNPP) is composed of three reactors in operation (2 WWER 440/213 and 1 WWER 1000/320) and one (WWER 1000/320) in commissioning phase.
This Project has started previously under 97.0703 TACIS contract as 96/STO-2 and is now referenced U1.01/97B under 99.0110 TACIS contract.

2) Objectives
The objective of this Supply Project was to provide Equipment for Handling of Hydrogen in the Containment during Normal Operation and Accident scenarios in Units 1 & 2 of Rovno NPP.

This project covered the supply of:

• 9 Passive Autocatalytic Recombiners (P.A.R) for each Unit,
• 1 on-site In Service Inspection Test Equipment,
• spare parts (150 catalytic plates),
• consumables (Ink and chart rolls),
• services (Training, certification, installation, licensing support, studies and analysis).
EDF’s activity in the framework of On Site Assistance Contract U1.01/00 (TACIS 2000) covers the following stages:
• assistance to the preparation of the Tender Dossier,
• assistance to the finalisation of the Supplier’s contract,
• assistance to the Supply Contract Implementation,
• assistance during Commissioning, Functional Tests, Provisional and Final Acceptances.
Planned Outputs:
• Equipment to be certified, installed and commissioned, licensing to be supported (done);
• Provisional Acceptance certificate to be signed (done);
• Final Acceptance certificates to be signed (done for Goods Unit 2, for Services & Spare parts Units 1 & 2).

3) Project results–achievements (with reference to the TORs)
Tender Technical Specifications:
EDF prepared, in the frame of 97.0703 TACIS contract, the technical specification, referenced R1-CQLKL 2027-02, of a tender dossier for providing ROVNO NPP with a system of hydrogen mitigation. When the 99.0110 TACIS contract came to force, the Technical Specification was assumed to be completed (rev. 2 dated 10/05/99). In fact, the document was commented by the Procurement Agent and JRC in September 99. EDF issued revision 3 of the Technical Specification on 25/10/99. This document, agreed by ROVNO NPP and ENERGOATOM, was submitted to SNRCU which made some remarks. SNRCU approved the Technical Specification on the 30/08/2000.
Tender Phase and Supply Contract:
In summer 1999, due to new EC rules it was decided to perform a Yes/No assessment of bids. EDF issued a revision C of the evaluation document on 18/01/2000 to define new evaluation criteria in accordance with this new evaluation approach. Finally, usual warranty conditions for a supply contract have changed and EDF was asked to issue a last revision on 12/01/2001. EDF had to define new criteria to take into account the Yes/No approach and had to take in charge the treatment of the evaluation criteria during eighteen extra months.
The evaluation bids took place on 23 & 27/04/2001. FRAMATOME ANP was awarded the contract in July 2001. The locations of H2 equipment were discussed during the walk-down meeting held at ROVNO NPP, on the 15/05/02. On May 26/05/02 the contract n 7251-97-003 was signed by all parties for an expected duration of 10 months. The equipment shall be supplied within 8 months. This project was registered under n1208 on 12/02/03 by the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine.
Supply Contract implementation:
The kick-off meeting was held at ROVNO NPP on the 19 & 20/06/2002.
Detailed technical specifications for Supply:
KIEP refused to sign a contract with SCORPIO which is not licensed as NAEK official sub-contractor. The engineering contract was signed between FRAMATOME ANP and KIEP on the 18/09/2002.
FRA ANP negotiated a contract with a local sub-contractor KNMU EUM for supporting the erection, certification and commissioning of equipment. The contract between FRA ANP and KNMU EUM was signed in October 2002.
EDF had some difficulties in the retrieval of some technical documents and to the delayed installation of equipment on Unit 1. Therefore it asked for a contract extension to 31/12/04.

The Technical Specifications for Supply were approved with 2 main comments by SNRCU on the 4/06/03:
• PSAR to be revised (Seismic input data and studies impact of hot gas) before installation on Unit 2 (July 2003).
• Recombiner performance studies (H2<4%) to be included in the FSAR before installation on Unit 1 (July 2004).
Factory Acceptance Tests and Delivery:
The results of the Factory Tests of the catalytic plates were found satisfactory by SNRCU, SSTC and RISKAUDIT. RNPP gave its approval for the shipment of equipment on the 4/06/03
Installation and Commissioning:
The 18 recombiners arrived at RNPP on the 26/06/03. 9 recombiners with their supports were installed during outage of Unit 2 from the 29 until the 30/07/03 according to the applicable procedure NGES5/2002/en/0234. 10 technicians (Units 1 & 2) were trained on the 30/07/03. The Commissioning and Functional Acceptance Tests of the 9 recombiners (Unit 2) were conducted from 31/07/03 until 4/08/03 according to the Programme.
The test results being found positive, the Commissioning and Functional Acceptance Test Certificates were issued on 4/08/03 for Unit 2.
Unit 1:
The last remaining 9 recombiners with their supports were installed during outage of Unit 1 from 21/04 until 30/04/04. The Сommissioning and Functional Acceptance Tests on Unit 1 were carried out from the 30/04 until 2/05/04, according to the Programme. The test results being found positive, the Commissioning and Functional Acceptance Test Certificates were issued on 2/05/04 for Unit 1.
Provisional Acceptance:
Unit 2:
Following PA GOPA request, EDF OSA signed on 10/02/04 the revised Provisional Acceptance Certificates. This certificate was signed by RNPP on 17/03/04 and received by PA GOPA on 29/03/04.
Unit 1:
The Provisional Acceptance Certificate for Goods (Unit 1) n PAC 013 was signed on 6/05/04 by EDF OSA and by RNPP on 7/05/04 and sent to PA GOPA on 11/05/04 under ref : 6408.
Certification and Licensing:
The Licensing Plan, dated 29/10/02 and approved by SNRCU on 12/11/02, was received by EDF on 21/11/02. During the common meeting between SNRCU, NAEK, RNPP, SSTC, RISKAUDIT and European Delegation held on 21/04/03, it was underlined that the number and the location of recombiners are under analysis by RISKAUDIT. During the “2+2” meeting held in Kiev on the 22/05/03, the main issues were clarified (TS approval, PSAR, FSAR, recombiner installation authorisation on Unit 2 in July 2003).
The Certificate of Conformity for 18 recombiners issued by CERTATOM on the 26/06/03. SNRCU approved the RNPP Technical Decision to put into pilot operation the recombiners in Unit 2 until Outage 2004. SNRCU approved the RNPP Technical Decision to put into pilot operation the recombiners in Unit 1 until Outage 2005. During the “2+2” meeting held in Kiev on 8/06/04, between NAEK, RNPP, SNCRU, SSTC, RISKAUDIT (APAT), KIEP, FRA ANP and EDF OSA the following points were confirmed:

• SNCRU noted that the safety of RNPP units 1 & 2 has been significantly increased.
• SNCRU will authorize to put PAR system into industrial operation on Unit 2 after elimination of remarks of SSTC expertise of FSAR.
• Small break leaks should be studied in the frame work of research activities on safety upgrading of RNPP Units 1 & 2.
• SNRCU approved on 23/07/04: the Technical Decision to put into commercial operation the PAR on Rovno Unit 2, the FSAR revised by KIEP.
Final Acceptance:
The Final Acceptance Certificate for Services & Spare parts was signed on 6/05/04 by EDF OSA and by RNPP on 7/05/04 and sent to PA GOPA on 11/05/04.
Unit 2:
The Final Acceptance Certificate (Unit 2) for Goods was signed by EDF OSA on 18/09/04 and by RNPP on 20/09/04 and sent to PA GOPA on 21/09/04.
Unit 1:
The Final Acceptance Certificate (Unit 1) for Goods was signed in May 2005 after one year of operation.
Booklet:
The final draft of the booklet describing the implementation of this project approved by FRA ANP on 07/09/04 was sent to RNPP for review on 21/09/04. The draft of the booklet was approved by the RNPP Project Manager (P.SIDORENKO) on 05/10/04. 500 copies of the booklet were printed on 11/11/2004.
Timing:
On May 26/05/02 the contract n 7251-97-003 was signed by all parties for an expected duration of 10 months.
The equipment was delivered on 26/06/2003 within 13 months instead of 8 months as contractually planned (5 month delay mainly due to licensing process).
9 PAR were installed during outage of Unit 2 in 2003.
9 PAR were installed during outage of Unit 1 in 2004. The installation on Unit 1 expected in 2003 had to be carried out during outage 2004

4) Comments (quality of the results, lesson learnt, recommendations for follow-up)
• Main benefits of the project:
Installation of the P.A.R. system which will avoid any hydrogen combustion mode that could cause containment failure in Design Basis Accident conditions.
• Information exchanges about hydrogen risk and Western hydrogen mitigation techniques between the Parties involved in the Project, particularly within the “2+2” approach.
Safety improvement:
This project was developed in accordance with the Safety Improvement Programme for ROVNO 1&2 with the VVER-440/213 Reactor Plants.
The P.A.R. system prevents occurrence of any flammable concentration of hydrogen in the containment in both NPP normal operation and accident conditions.
During the project implementation, the “2+2” approach was applied, involving the Western and Ukrainian Regulatory Bodies with their respective Technical Support Organisations.
Further Information
Further information on the project results could be sought from the beneficiary organizations.
The Project Final report is available at the JRC- IE archive.