Interim Spent Nuclear Fuel Dry Storage Facility (ISF-2)

The Interim Spent Nuclear Fuel Dry Storage Facility (ISF-2) – is the facility designed for acceptance, preparation for storage and storage of Spent Fuel Assemblies (SFA) and Additional Absorbers (AA), currently stored at Chornobyl NPP.

The construction began in 2001 and is funded from the Nuclear Safety Account of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

ISF-2 consists of 2 parts:
1. Spent Fuel Processing Facility (SFPF). Its function is preparation for storage and packing of about 21 thousand spent fuel assemblies, transported from from “wet” type ISF-1. The facility is designed to ensure the minimal annual capacity for processing of 2,500 fuel assemblies or absorbers.

2. Spent Fuel Storage Area. The following operations are carried out in this Area:
• transportation of the canisters, filled with spent nuclear fuel from the Spent Fuel Processing Facility to the Storage Area, using the canisters handling and transportation system;
• loading of canisters into horizontal concrete storage modules with the 100-year design life-time
• storage of canisters with nuclear fuel within 100 years.

Storage of spent nuclear fuel will be carried out using the dry modular storage technology.

The general principle of dry model storage is that fuel is stored in sealed baskets filled with inert gas. The baskets themselves are placed in concrete modules. The module design serves as radiation protection, and also prevents the damage of the metal basket.

Dry technology has the following advantages:
1. Possibility to implement construction of the facility in a staged manner and lower initial investment in the construction.
2. Passive system (due to natural air exchange) for removal of residual heat from spent fuel assemblies.
3. Generation of insignificant amount of radioactive waste during operation of the storage facility and almost complete absence of liquid radioactive waste.
4. Operating costs are significantly lower in comparison with the wet storage.

The accepted technology for ISF-2 involves the use of a Double-Walled Canister (DWC). Its design provides long-term storage of fuel due to isolation from the environment. Therefore, there will be no radiation effect on the environment under normal storage in concrete modules. One DWC contains 93 spent fuel assemblies.

On December 14, 2020, active phase of hot testing was completed; 186 spent fuel assemblies were moved to ISF-2.

Read more: ChNPP completes transfer of spent nuclear fuel within “hot tests” at ISF-2

On April 26, 2021, ChNPP obtained Licence for ISF-2 Operation which enabled to start transportation of the fuel in operation mode.

On May 21, the SSE ChNPP obtained an individual permit for Removal of Standard Spent Nuclear Fuel from ISF-1.

On 08 June, spent fuel transportation in operation mode started. As of January 2022: 1,698 spent fuel assemblies have been moved to ISF-2 for long-term storage.

The project is funded by the European Union.

Project objective: modernization of dosimetric control system in the Exclusion Zone and environmental (radiation) monitoring at Vektor Complex and Buriakivka RAW Disposal Facility.

Project tasks:

  • Development of design and purchase documentation for modernization of the environmental monitoring systems at Vektor and Buriakivka as well as dosimetric control systems at ChNPP and within the Exclusion Zone in general (including the contamination which can be spread by vehicles).
  • Analysis of available systems and their compliance with the safety requirements of Ukraine and best international practices.
  • Development of actions for improvement of the systems.
  • Development of technical specifications on whose basis the primary actions of the system improvement will be taken (these actions include shipment, installation, testing and commissioning).

In terms of upgrading the ChNPP radiation and dosimetric control, the existing system was analysed, the improvement actions for it were developed, and general assessment was completed. Due to both the limited financing of the next project phase and large scope of work, the project for ChNPP was split into two LOTs:

LOT-1 — purchase of equipment for refurbishment of the ChNPP Individual Dosimetric Control Laboratory and purchase of individual dosimeters.
LOT-2 — purchase of auxiliary dosimeters to check eye lens and limbs.

 

 

The project is funded through the IAEA Technical Cooperation Fund and its budget can be changed or redistributed if it is necessary.

Project objective:

Completing the establishment and ensuring efficient operation of integrated system for radioactive waste/SNF management in Ukraine that will enable to achieve safe managing (incl. disposal) the radioactive waste of all types including the waste accumulated within the previous years, being generated currently in the course of nuclear energy use as well as the waste that will arise in the future; enhancing the technological capabilities, improving efficiency and safety of decommissioning activities at Chornobyl NPP industrial site.

Completion status:

The project was completed in December 2019.

Within the project the SSE ChNPP as one of the recipients received the expert support of the IAEA in the area of decommissioning and RAW management, namely about the methods for determination of organic content in radioactively contaminated water, methods for sample taking and characterization of ChNPP solid RAW, ion exchanging resin treatment, status of “Implementation Programme for the Stage of Chornobyl NPP Power Units 1, 2 and 3 Final Shutdown and Preservation”.

The specialists were trained and participated in the fellowship programme studying the laboratory methods to determine the radionuclides in radioactively contaminated water and liquid RAW with use of mass-spectrometer.

Also, ChNPP received a state-of-the-art digital microscope for laboratory investigations.

The Project is financed from the funds of the European Union in the framework of the Programme “Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation 2011. Part II”.

The general objective of the Project, which includes Service Contract No.NSI/2015/365776 dated 18.12.2015, is to improve safety and economic efficiency during management of all types of radioactive waste in Ukraine and, to take all possible measures to reduce the amount of waste and fulfil long-term tasks regarding final safe disposal.

The Project tasks are as follows:

- selection of the relevant operating procedures/equipment for waste reprocessing;
- supply, design, manufacture, delivery, including any documentation required, certification, installation, licensing and commissioning of equipment for the purpose of creating a facility for release of materials from regulatory control at the Chornobyl NPP suitable for further release for all types of materials in accordance with the approved methodology and procedures;
- providing radiation control and radiation monitoring of facilities to prevent their contamination;
- obtaining radiation characteristics during transportation of containers/large facilities for measurement zones inside the facility; registration of measurement results obtained for release of materials/printing;
- monitoring of radiation situation inside the facility for personnel protection from radioactive contamination and video monitoring of the measurement process.

Completion status:

All works under the contract have been completed.

The Contractor delivered the equipment whose testing and certification had been completed. ChNPP personnel were trained and started work at the facility.

Currently the facility is being commissioned.

 

The Project is financed from the funds of the European Union in the framework of Agreement on funding of the Annual Action Programme 2012 for Nuclear Safety – Part II”.

The general objective of the Project, a part of which is Service Contract No. INSC/366-483 dated December 20, 2016, is to enhance safety of activities related to decommissioning, management of RAW and ionizing radiation sources, rehabilitation of radioactively contaminated territories through the improvement of the personnel training system at all levels.

Project Tasks are as follows:

Task 1: project preparation and initial phase;
Task 2: identification of training needs in Ukraine;
Task 3: analysis of the best world practice and experience of personnel training in the area of RAW and LLW management, decommissioning and rehabilitation of territories;
Task 4: development of training programs, courses, modules and training materials;
Task 5: trainings of instructors and pilot courses for personnel training;
Task 6: sharing the project results and issuance of the final report.

Completion status:

The project was completed in December 2019.

Within the project the training courses, modules and training content were developed. A 2-week training for the trainers and specialists of the Exclusion Zone enterprises as well as the pilot training courses for the SSE ChNPP staff in the area of decommissioning, RAW management and area remediation were held.