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    Two IAEA expert missions on characterization of irradiated graphite (hereinafter: iGraphite) and on waste form determination procedures are being held at ChNPP from 27 to 31 May 2019 as part of the national technical cooperation project.

    Both topics are extremely important for ChNPP. The problem of characterization of iGraphite is closely connected with plant's decommissioning progress which stipulates management of iGraphite packages to be obtained as a result of fuel channels and control and protection system rods management scheduled to be started in 2021. The management process of iGraphite packages is identical to those of long-lived radioactive waste (RAW), stipulating that for further management, the packages should be characterized as for the nuclide content, which requires the relevant methodology to be developed and approved.

    This expert mission is not the first one held in this direction. In June 2017, IAEA experts were reviewing the ChNPP technical solution on iGraphite management and found the results of the previously performed characterization of graphite rings of five fuel channels of ChNPP Reactor 2 acceptable as the basis for graphite characterization. However, for this purpose it is necessary to develop and describe the relevant methodology for characterization of packages.

    Ukraine celebrates the Vyshyvanka Day on the third Thursday of May. However, today this is no longer only the Ukrainian holiday — according to mass media in 2019 it was celebrated in 127 countries of the world.

    The history of Ukrainian vyshyvanka (a traditional embroidered shirt) has about a thousand years. The tradition of wearing it brings it together with the traditions of other Slavic nations, whose national costumes also include embroidered shirts with ornament. For many centuries vyshyvanka has been used by the Ukrainians as clothes for everyday wear, but at the same time it has been perceived as the averter — a symbol of health and beauty.

    The Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant has traditionally joined the world-wide Vyshyvanka movement. On May 16, over eighty employees of the enterprise, including representatives of ChNPP administration and trade union, gathered in vyshyvankas near the administrative building on the industrial site, as well as at the ChNPP office in Slavutych.

    Some workers, whose work schedule did not allow them attending the general meeting, set up separate flash mobs at their workplaces.
    Deputy Technical Director Oleksandr Novikov, as in previous years, became the thought leader of this event.

    On May 6, the main stage of Spent Nuclear Fuel Dry Storage Facility (ISF-2) integrated testing with use of spent fuel assembly (SFA) dummies started at the ChNPP industrial site.

    The testing includes the receiving of a railcar from ISF-1, processing of 9 dummies (namely detaching the lower and upper spent fuel bundles, inserting the dummies into the fuel storage tubes and double-wall shielding canisters (DWC)). The SSE ChNPP personnel participate in the ISF-2 integrated testing while the representatives of the SNRIU and the SSTC NRS witness this testing.

    The completed individual testing of the majority of systems, namely main process systems for handling a transfer cask, SFAs, fuel storage tubes, DWCs etc. enabled to carry out this stage of testing.

    From May 18, within the framework of ISF-2 integrated testing with dummies it is scheduled to carry out the primary procedure qualification of welding technique which will be used for DWC handling.

    The IAEA Expert Mission is drawing to a close, held at Chornobyl NPP to address the issues regarding the process materials accumulated at the Temporary Storage Site for Process Materials (TSSPM) and the future use of the site.

    During 3 days the IAEA experts have been discussing the work execution procedures when operating the site, characteristics, including radiation ones, and the current amount of process materials stored at the TSSPM, as well as details of radioactive contamination of the area and facilities around the site. Furthermore, ways for future handling of process materials and the necessary measures for environmental protection around the TSSPM have been outlined.

    FYI. In 2003 SSE ChNPP approved the decision on temporary storage or reuse for backfilling of the materials resulting form excavation works performed during facilities construction within the Shelter Implementation Plan (SIP). It allowed to significantly reduce time necessary for materials management and thus reduced the New Safe Confinement overall construction time. In addition, this approach made it possible to significantly reduce the number of materials that had to be delivered from outside of the site for the construction of the NSC.

    April 26, 2019, Volodymyr Groysman carried out a working visit to Chornobyl Exclusion Zone and Chornobyl NPP. The delegation accompanying Volodymyr Groysman during this visit included Mr. Ostap Semerak, the Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine, the deputies of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Mr. Hryhorii Plachkov, the SNRIU Head, Mr.Vitalii Petruk, the SAUEZM Head, Mr. Yuriy Nedashkovsky, SE NNEGC Energoatom President, Mr. Oleksandr Tereshchuk, the Head of Kyiv Region State Administration and Mr. Yurii Fomichev, Slavutych Mayor.

    The Prime-Minister and the people that accompanied him paid the tribute to memory of the people, who eliminated the consequences of the accident at ChNPP, by laying the flowers at the foot of the monument to the Heroes of Chornobyl near Chornobyl NPP Administrative Building No.1.

    Within the framework of the working visit the Prime-Minister went to the New Safe Confinement Process Building where recently the 72-hour comprehensive testing (field trial) of the first Commissioning Stage (CS-1) of NSC has been completed. The detailed information on the project progress was provided to him by the SSE ChNPP Acting Director Serhii Kalashnyk.

    1. International Conference INUDECO 2019
    2. NSC in the trial operation mode
    3. Members of the Central Executive Authorities Visit ChNPP
    4. WANO Member Support Mission starts at Chornobyl NPP

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