The Interim Spent Nuclear Fuel Dry Storage Facility (ISF-2) was handed-over from the Contractor (Holtec International) to the Employer (SSE ChNPP).
Upon the information from Volodymyr Pieskov, the Deputy Technical Director for Operation, the Contractor has finished all construction and assembly works, and the State Architectural and Construction Inspectorate (SACI) has been provided with a request for obtaining a certificate on ISF-2 completion. Currently, the SACI Commission is working on the storage facility site.
“According to the contract agreement, following completion of construction and assembly works, except for providing a corresponding Act, the Contractor should hold practical training in equipment management for personnel of Chornobyl NPP. This is compulsory condition since during “cold” testing of the facility performed in summer 2019 all operations dealing with ISF-2 equipment were performed by the personnel involved by the Holtec International.
The ChNPP employees passed theoretical course, but just before “hot” testing the workers who will operate the storage facility have to confirm their skills and abilities in practice”, he pointed out.
During “hot” testing, according to the program approved by the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU), 186 spent fuel assemblies (SFAs) will be transferred from the current Interim Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility No.1 to the ISF-2. Following completion of required technological operations, SFAs will be disposed into the concrete storage modules at ISF-2. During “hot” testing of ISF-2, a special attention will be given to the biological protection system of the facility.
The start of “hot” testing is scheduled for the end of February 2020.
For your information
The “cold” testing lasted for almost four months, since May 6 till August 29, 2019. This was a necessary part of pre-operational testing of ISF-2 and consisted of three main stages. During first stage, the testing dealt with operability of all main process systems and their management of SFA dummies.
During second stage, all auxiliary systems maintaining operation of primary ones were tested.
The third stage of “cold” testing was aimed at determining maintainability of all equipment of ISF-2, whether its units and components could be maintained remotely (without direct involvement of personnel) in case of equipment failure under the conditions of facility operation.
All three stages of testing were implemented under a control of the commission consisting of the representatives of Holtec International, Chornobyl NPP, and State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine.
After rectifying all deficiencies revealed based on “cold” testing outcome, development and approval of preliminary safety analysis report and obtaining an appropriate certificate from SACI, the stage of “hot” testing dealing with real SFAs will start.
Besides, in October 2019, the Chornobyl NPP obtained from SNRIU a license for activity relating to radioactive material transportation. This was done in order to extend the valid license for additional operations relating to spent nuclear fuel management during its transfer from ISF-1 to ISF-2, as well as for operations on management of solid and liquid RAW during its transportation from ISF-2 to the industrial site of SSE ChNPP.