On January 22, 2014, the IAEA expert mission started at Chernobyl NPP to review a design of technical specification for upgrading of RAW incineration facility of the Solid Radioactive Waste Processing Plant (SRPP).
Upgrading of incineration facility assumes the creation and inclusion of additional waxing unit into SRPP process flow to carry out technological operations relating to mixing a non-combustible product, resulted from RAW incineration, in the form of ash and cinders with a wax prior to its compaction.
The need for such operation is caused by the presence of light volatile fractions in ash and cinders, which during drum compaction can go beyond its boundaries through the designed punched holes and lead to radioactive and mechanical contamination of equipment, and SRPP technological premises as well.
Solid Waste Processing Center of Bohunice NPP (Slovakia) faced the similar problem. Lack of ash waxing unit was leading to mechanical and radioactive contamination of equipment and technological premises supported by equipment breakdown and a necessity of routine decontamination. It was leading to additional financial costs, extra labour input and additional radioactive exposure to operational personnel. This problem at Bohunice NPP (Slovakia) was successfully solved in 2005 by implementing additional ash waxing unit to the incineration facility makeup. This method showed high efficiency, its implementation required minor modifications of equipment, use of available space, and available transport and manipulation means.
The activities on studying the possibility of implementing ash waxing unit at Chernobyl NPP SRPP were commenced at the end of 2011 under IAEA Technical Cooperation Project, and several expert missions were held. A conceptual proposal was developed with the help of Slovakian experts.
Under the mission to be held till January 24, 2014, the experts from Solid Waste Processing Center of Bohunice NPP (Slovakia) will review the technical specification design and provide their recommendations for its correction and subsequent activities.
