2. Infocenter
    3. News

    Within the framework of hot tests commenced on September 10, 2020, at the new Interim Spent Fuel Storage Facility of Chornobyl NPP, all the operations related to the first real spent fuel assembly (SFA) preparation for storage have been successfully completed.

    These procedures include the transfer basket lifting from the railcar to vertical position, unpacking, then moving an individual SFA to hot cell, cutting and repacking.

    So, it can be deemed that all stages starting from the fuel transportation from ISF-1 to ISF-2 and through to its processing for long-term storage were not only tried and tested with dummies but also with an existent SFA.

    Currently, similar activities are carried out with the second spent fuel assembly.

    On September 10, “hot tests” commenced at the new Interim Spent Fuel Storage Facility No.2 (hereinafter referred to as ISF-2), under the specific permit for commissioning of the nuclear facility issued by the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine.

    The day before, the first batch of 9 spent fuel assemblies was loaded into the transfer basket at ISF-1, in the presence of the IAEA inspectors, and this morning the basket was transferred from the wet-type storage facility (ISF-1) to the new facility (ISF-2) for further spent fuel handling.

    Spent fuel is transported by a special railcar which also serves as biological shielding to protect personnel from radiation exposure.

    ChNPP Acting Director General Volodymyr Pieskov notes that the start of hot testing was preceded by long preparatory work at both ISF-1 and ISF-2. Spent nuclear fuel handling at both storage facilities and its transportation is a comprehensive set of quite serious and interconnected operations, whereas the “hot” tests represent an important procedure which from now on will use the real spent fuel assemblies, not the dummies.

    On the 7th of September, SSE ChNPP obtained a specific permit for commissioning of a nuclear facility – the Interim Spent Fuel Dry Storage Facility (ISF-2).

    This permit opens the door for commencing “hot” tests at the facility. The tests provide for transportation of 186 real spent fuel assemblies (SFAs) into a new storage facility. The SFAs after their processing will be placed into the concrete storage modules.

    A decision to issue the specific permit was approved by the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU). The decision takes into account the positive results of the state nuclear and radiation safety expert review and the inspection of the SNRIU’s Commission on review the capability of SSE ChNPP to perform activities on transportation, processing and storage of spent nuclear fuel (SNF).

    Starting from July 25th, applications can be submitted to participate in the all-Ukrainian contest “Cycle-Friendly Employer of the Year” - the contest which celebrates the most comfortable offices as regards bicycle infrastructure in different Ukrainian cities. The main objective of the contest is developing city bicycle infrastructure and promoting using bicycles as a transportation to get to offices.

    The contestants this year include 9 cities – Kyiv, Kharkiv, Poltava, Kryvyi Rih, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Vinnytsia, Odesa, and Slavutych. Each of the cities will have its winner selected individually.

    Chornobyl NPP has decided not to miss such an opportunity to participate in the contest, for the company already has its own practical and covered bike parking rack installed last year on the territory of its office in Slavutych.

    1. Flag size of NSC
    2. New Technical Cooperation Project with IAEA
    3. First Deputy Minister of Environment Protection and Natural Resources of Ukraine visited Chornobyl NPP
    4. Metal Decontamination Facility Testing Started

    Page 42 of 120