European consulting for Belarusian nuclear power plant construction

Documents to license Belarusian nuclear station’s second reactor construction under examination

The Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department of the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry has started the expert evaluation of the documents required to issue the license to build the second power-generating unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant. The information was released by Olga Lugovskaya, Head of the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department, on 17 December, BelTA has learned.

According to the official, the package of documents has been received and has been forwarded to experts. In line with Belarusian laws the procedure to issue the license to build a power-generating unit of a nuclear power plant, in particular, the part regulating the construction of the main buildings and structures, can last up to one year. “Since we have the experience of expert evaluation for the first power-generating unit of the nuclear power plant, the work can be done somewhat faster,” specified Olga Lugovskaya. “We are definitely trying to do everything that can be done to accelerate the license issuance,” she added.

Apart from evaluating the documents the regulating body is also examining the licensee (the Nuclear Power Plant Construction Directorate) for compliance with requirements of the license.

Construction workers started pouring concrete into the foundation of facilities that will make up the first power-generating unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant at the Ostrovets site in November 2013. The Belarusian nuclear power plant will boast two power-generating units with the total capacity of up to 2,400MW (1,200MW each). The Russian design AES-2006 has been chosen to build the power plant. The design is fully compliant with international standards and IAEA recommendations. The Russian public joint-stock company OAO NIAEP – ZAO Atomstroyexport is the general designer and the general contractor for building the power plant. The timeline for implementing the project is stipulated by the general contract. The first power-engineering unit of the nuclear power plant is scheduled for launch in November 2018.

Belarus and Russia signed the general contract to build the Belarusian nuclear power plant in July 2012. The cost of building the installation is primarily covered by a state export loan granted by Russia. In line with the relevant intergovernmental agreement the loan can provide up to $10 billion for 25 years to cover 90% of the cost of every contract between the Russian company ZAO Atomstroyexport and the Belarusian state institution Directorate for Nuclear Power Plant Construction.

European consulting for Belarusian nuclear power plant construction

European specialists provide consultative aid to Belarus in matters concerning nuclear safety and the construction of the nuclear power plant. The information was released by Olga Lugovskaya, Head of the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department of the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry, during the briefing session hosted by the BelTA press center on 17 December.

The official said that the responsibility for a nuclear installation lies with the country where the installation is located. “Since we are just starting implementing the program to build the first nuclear power plant, then there is no doubt that the experience of our colleagues, who are more advanced in this matter, will come in handy. We vigorously cooperate both with international experts within the framework of the European Commission and with Russian specialists. Certain funding has been apportioned for the next year for us to get consultative services from [the Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service of Russia] Rostechnadzor. Experienced Russian experts are supposed to consult the Belarusian side directly at the construction site. They will closely examine our installation, study all the small things, pay attention to some critical points,” explained Olga Lugovskaya.

The European Commission cooperates with Belarusian specialists in providing the methods and approaches to examining safety substantiation reports. “The expert group includes specialists from Ukraine, Lithuania, Germany, Italy, and France. It is a very representative international team, which studies various materials although it does not provide expert evaluation. We have forwarded several documents to these international experts with approval of the Russian side since the documents are owned by the state corporation Rosatom. The experts are studying the data and give us recommendations,” said Olga Lugovskaya.

The Belarusian side and the European Commission are now agreeing a project for international technical aid in 2014-2015. The project provides for measures concerning the organization of oversight efforts. “It is oversight at the stage of construction, installation work. Our European colleagues are expected to take part in these events,” added the official.

Belarusian, Russian nuclear industry watchdogs to examine BelNPP construction together

The Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department of the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry and the Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service of Russia (Rostechnadzor) intend to carry out joint inspections of the Belarusian nuclear power plant construction in 2014, BelTA learned from Olga Lugovskaya, Head of the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department, on 17 December.

According to the source, the inspections will be carried out as part of the cooperation practiced by the Belarusian and Russian regulatory bodies for the sake of accelerating the professional development of the Belarusian personnel. “Experience can be earned and we are working on it together with Russian colleagues from Rostechnadzor. They have technical support divisions, which are designed to provide consulting services and we are already learning as part of the work. We plan to arrange such a process in the future, too. Next year Russian specialists will arrive and together with us they will carry out supervision inspections, they will be present at the construction site,” she said. In her words, the visits will be educational because the Belarusian legislation allows only the national nuclear industry watchdog to oversee the construction of the nuclear power plant.

Olga Lugovskaya also said that in 2013 educational visits to Russia were arranged for specialists representing nuclear oversight, civil engineering oversight, industrial oversight, and fire safety oversight of Belarus. The specialists visited facilities under construction of the Novovoronezh nuclear power plant in Russia. “The Belarusian specialists were invited to take part in an inspection tour. Together with Russian colleagues they examined all the facilities, asked questions about what things should be paid close attention to. In this regard we are satisfied with the support from Russian colleagues,” she remarked.

According to the official, the construction of the Belarusian nuclear power plant is closely overseen. A working group headed by First Deputy Emergencies Minister of Belarus Vasily Stepanenko has been set up to coordinate efforts of all the Belarusian oversight agencies. The oversight efforts are summarized and analyzed by the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department of the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry. The data is used to assess the safety level of the nuclear power plant construction, to plan further inspections and to reveal problem spots. In 2013 the Gosatomnadzor carried out four planned inspections and a surprise one of the construction of the Belarusian nuclear power plant.

Selective control over Belarusian nuclear station equipment production in Russia

The Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department of the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry intends to practice selective control over how equipment for the Belarusian nuclear power plant is manufactured in Russia, BelTA learned from Grigory Astashko, Deputy Head of the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department, on 17 December.

According to the source, the production of equipment for the Belarusian nuclear power plant and various components is overseen by the Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service of Russia (Rostechnadzor) since manufacturers of the equipment are licensed by Rostechnadzor. The Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department of the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry does not practice oversight at Russian factories but has plans to oversee the production of components for the future Belarusian nuclear power plant by Russian enterprises. “Certainly, we are not going to keep an eye on every little detail made in Russia. We intend to resort to selective control,” explained Grigory Astashko.

He also remarked that securing the quality and the compliance of components and equipment of the Belarusian nuclear power plant with the required technical parameters is the primary task for the Nuclear Power Plant Construction Directorate. “In turn, we are supposed to oversee the work of the Directorate,” added the official.

According to the source, the first batch of equipment — a core catcher — is on its way to Belarus. The Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department is supposed to enable proper control over the acceptance of this equipment. The system polished by Russian specialists has to work properly in Belarus, too, said Grigory Astashko.

He also said that the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department oversees the fulfillment of license requirements and conditions.

At present observing all the quality guidelines at the construction site in Ostrovets is the mandatory license requirement for all the companies involved in the project to build the Belarusian nuclear power plant, stressed the official.

Nuclear safety requirements getting tougher

Nuclear safety requirements are becoming more and more stringent all over the world. This was prompted in many ways by the nuclear accidents in Chernobyl and Fukushima, Olga Lugovskaya, Head of the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department (Gosatomnadzor), said on 17 December, BelTA has learned.

“Developers of nuclear technologies have improved safety systems after the nuclear accidents happened. In order to move forward in the field of nuclear safety and nuclear energy, we need to learn our lessons. We need to analyze what we overlooked, what we mismanaged, what we neglected. These issues are approached very seriously by the international community. Recommendations were developed to make sure national regulators will take into account new realities to maximize nuclear safety,” she noted.

According to Olga Lugovskaya, when the Fukushima accident happened (this was due to a set of unpredictable circumstances), the global community responded by intensive work aimed to prevent such accidents in the future. A number of special recommendations were developed, including by the IAEA.

July 2013 marked a significant consolidation of the Belarusian nuclear and radiation safety regulator, Olga Lugovskaya added.

Belarus’ Emergencies Ministry, Rostechnadzor to ink cooperation agreement soon

The Belarusian Emergencies Ministry and the Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service of Russia (Rostechnadzor) will sign a cooperation agreement before long, Olga Lugovskaya, Head of the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department (Gosatomnadzor) under the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry, told mass media at the briefing held on 17 December to discuss the role of expert assessment, licensing and supervision in nuclear and radiation safety, BelTA has learnt.

“We are engaged in very close cooperation with our Russian colleagues from Rostechnadzor. This week an interagency agreement will be signed between this body and the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry. It governs information exchange in order to ensure nuclear and radiation safety,” Olga Lugovskaya said. According to her, the Belarusian side will not have any problems obtaining information on all points of interest.

Olga Lugovskaya said that the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department acts strictly in line with the IAEA requirements. “That is why we closely cooperate with representatives of international organizations when implementing projects in our country. These are technical assistance projects under the aegis of the IAEA and the EU aimed at adding competence to and increasing capabilities of Gosatomnadzor in ensuring and assessing safety,” she underlined.

Olga Lugovskaya added that work is underway to set up a subdivision of the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department which will be located at the site of the Belarusian NPP. “We are beginning to set up the subdivision, are currently busy hiring people, most of whom are young specialists. Of course, the department is also staffed by workers with significant experience but we focus on young specialists who graduate from corresponding Belarusian universities. Beginning from next year they will work and attend courses at our department in order to improve their qualifications,” stressed Olga Lugovskaya.