An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts has said that the operator of the Novovoronezh Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in the Russian Federation has shown a commitment to enhancing operational safety.
Requested by the Government of the Russian Federation, the Operational Safety Review Team (OSART) mission ran from 13 to 30 January. The team reviewed operational safety in Units 4 and 6 of the Novovoronezh
NPP. An OSART mission was previously completed for Unit 5 in 2015.
OSART missions independently assess safety performance against the IAEA’s safety standards. The aim is to advance operational safety by proposing recommendations, and where appropriate, suggestions for improvement.
The Novovoronezh NPP is located in the Voronezh region, about 600 kilometres south of Moscow. The plant is owned by State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom (ROSATOM) and operated by Novovoronezh NPP, a subsidiary of the Rosenergoatom Joint Stock Company. The plant consists of seven units. Units 1, 2 and 3 are permanently shutdown and under decommissioning. Units 4, 5, 6 and 7 are operating. All units are Pressurized Water Reactors (VVERs); Units 4 and 5 are VVER-V179 (417 MWe) and VVER-187 (1000 MWe), respectively. Units 6 and 7 are both VVER-392M (1180 MWe). Russia has 36 nuclear power reactors in operation, providing almost 20% of the country’s total electricity production.
The team reviewed operating practices in Units 4 and 6 in the areas of leadership and management for safety, training and qualification, operations, maintenance, technical support, radiation protection, chemistry and accident management. It was composed of seven experts from Belarus, Brazil, China, the Islamic Republic of Iran and South Africa, as well as four IAEA staff members and an observer from Russia.
To make its assessment, the team reviewed documents from the Novovoronezh plant on its main technical features, staff organization and responsibilities, and its operational programmes, procedures and performance prior to the mission. During the mission, the team observed the plant in operation, examined indicators of its performance and held in-depth discussions with plant personnel.
