The State Nuclear Regulatory Authority issued to the State Specialized Enterprise Chernobyl NPP an individual permission of Series ED No.000033\10 for operation of the Integrated Automated Monitoring System (IAMS) of the Shelter Object.
The IAMS is designed for automated monitoring of the Shelter conditions and improvement of nuclear, radiation and general occupational safety of this object including emergency preparedness.
On March 11, a meeting of Joint Committee “Ukraine – European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)” was held relating to implementation of international assistance projects on preparing Chernobyl NPP for decommissioning and Shelter transformation into environmentally safe system funded from Nuclear Safety Account and Chernobyl Shelter Fund administrated by EBRD on the instructions of donor countries.
On 12th March 2016 the ChNPP industrial site was visited by EBRD’s Acting Vice President for Policy and Partnerships Mr. Alain Pilloux accompanied by Managing Director for Eastern Europe and the Caucasus Mr. Francis Malige and Director of Nuclear Safety Department Mr. Vince Novak, and by other official representatives of EBRD.
The visit was made at the invitation of a directorate of Novarka, the company which is constructing the New Safe Confinement at the site. It should be reminded that this project is financed from the funds accumulated by donor countries into the Chernobyl Shelter Fund and administrated by the EBRD.
During 23-25 February 2016, the site acceptance tests (SAT) on the project “Establishment of Chernobyl NPP Decommissioning Visualization Centre” were brought to a successful conclusion at ChNPP site. Beside the ChNPP professionals, Project Leader and Senior Engineer of the project from the Institute for Energy Technologies of Norway (IFE) also participated in the SAT.
As part of the project, ChNPP received computer and health physics equipment in December 2015. In addition to standard software, supplied together with PCs, IFE designed special software to create scenarios and visualize decommissioning activities. The total scope of supply was UAH 150,000.
The equipment and software will be used to introduce modern technologies of 3D modeling, to visualize Chernobyl NPP decommissioning process, will enable planning and training of personnel, planning and monitoring of radiation doses, as well as visualization of radiation scenarios to implement various tasks. The use of visualization centres is one of the most widespread trends which allow to reduce radiation doses of personnel at nuclear power plants and to improve safety of activities.
IFE representatives conducted training for ChNPP personnel, which will be involved in CDVC operation, on the use of the designed software, as well as introduced the capabilities of the Centre to the managers of the main ChNPP shops and departments.
On the 25th of February the final meeting was held on the project which was implemented as part of the Agreement which had been signed on the 30th November 2012 between the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the Government of the Kingdom of Norway on cooperation in nuclear and radiation safety, ChNPP decommissioning and Shelter Object transformation into ecologically safe system. The project was funded by Norwegian Government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Contractor of the project was Institute for Energy Technologies of Norway (IFE). Participants of the meeting discussed the possibilities of future cooperation between ChNPP and IFE under the intergovernmental Agreement mentioned above.
A Kick-off Meeting under the Contract No.2015/365-776 “Creation of facility for release of materials from regulatory control at ChNPP”, being funded by the European Commission and implemented within the frame of the EC Project U4.01/11Е, was held on 4th February at the Chernobyl NPP.
Within this Contract it is expected to supply to the Chernobyl NPP site the entire list of equipment and software from a stationary gamma-spectrometry measuring system and mobile measuring devices to an operator’s cabin, bar code systems, radio stations and all the items needed for full operation. Beside that the Contract provides for the equipment installation, acceptance tests, certification, licensing and commissioning, as well as training of the ChNPP personnel who will operate the facility.