Press Release: Conference on The Issues Concerning Fulfillment of The Projects Related to The Decommissioning Of BN 350 Reactor

The participants of the conference:

KAZAKHSTAN

Atomic Energy Committee, National Nuclear Center, NAC Kazatomprom, MAEC Kazatomprom LLP, Scientific and technical center of nuclear technologies safety, JSC KATEP, Byelkamit JSC JV, Promenegroproekt LLP,Kazelectromash LLP

USA

State Department (Nonproliferation and disarmament fund), Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory GREAT BRITAIN

RWE NUKEM Company

 The working conference is devoted to summarizing of the works during the last 3 months. The purpose of carrying out of the detailed review of execution of signed job description, discussion of the existing problems, and analysis of developed schedules of executed works, their optimization and correction, fulfillment of risk valuation for new projects performed within the limits of International scientific and technical center (ISTC).

Works on decommissioning of BN 350 reactor have an international character since the very beginning, in other words since 1999. They are performed under the aegis of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), with participation of the most experienced specialists from this authoritative organization.

The United States play a special role in this international cooperation, rendering of financial, technical and organizational assistance in decommissioning of such a complicated facility as BN 350 fast reactor since the very beginning.

In December of 1999 the Department of Energy of the USA and the Ministry of Energy, Industry and Trade of RoK signed the Agreement on mutual fulfillment of the program for safe stop of BN-350 reactor in Aktau city and turn of it into stable condition. According to the Agreement the US Department of Energy committed to render financial and technical support within execution of series of works on BN 350 decommissioning.

Under the mentioned Agreement there was made an Agreement S-LMAQM-01-A-0005 between Kazakh scientific and technical center of nuclear technologies safety (STCoNTS) and US State Department. The project No. NDF 146 and the latest project No. NDF 177 of the Non-proliferation and Disarmament Fund (NPDF) of US State Department were launched within the framework of this agreement.

The Agreement was made in 2001, and in 2003 it was prolonged by August of 2006.

The principal participant of the Program on the part of the USA is Argonne National Laboratory (at present, after reorganization renamed as Idaho National Laboratory (INL)); and on the Kazakhs part there are Atomic Energy Committee of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (AEC of MEMR of RoK), MAEC Republican State Enterprise (at present MAEC Kazatomprom LLP), International scientific and technical center (ISTC), National nuclear center (RSE NNC of RoK), JSC KATEP.

Peculiarity of this project is participation of Idaho National Laboratory, operating in joint groups with Kazakh engineers and scientists. The work within joint design groups will allow the transfer of the experience in the decommissioning of BN 350 reactor to provide the correspondence of it to the international models and successful completion of the project. The US Department of Energy provides financing of works performed by the American specialists from INL.

The following tasks are included into the project No. NDF 146:

1. Launching of the project – development and approval of the project plan, making of the agreement with Kazakhstan, establishment of joint project team USA-Kazakhstan.

2. Carrying out of the design engineering and production of the equipment for sodium drainage of the primary coolant circuit, including development of the technology for sodium drainage from the reactor vessel and primary circuit loops to the existing storage tanks.

3. Performance of works of sodium drainage of the primary coolant circuit including technological tasks, which shall be solved for sodium drainage from the primary coolant circuit to the existing storage tanks. It also includes training of the staff for the works on drainage and processing of sodium including safety procedures and actions in the case of emergency.

4. Execution of design works on creation of the unit for sodium processing for BN 350, including safety analysis and valuation of impact to the environment.

5. Performance of the design works on removal of sodium residues from the vessel and primary circuit loops of the reactor.

6. Development, production and delivery of the main equipment for processing of sodium from the primary coolant circuit.

Project No. NDF 177 provides the continuation of the works under the project No. NDF 146 and includes construction of the building for the sodium processing unit (SPU), acquisition and delivery of the equipment, its assembling, execution of commissioning works and putting of the unit into operation.

To achieve the purposes of the project the group of experts from the American side renders the assistance in provision with the additional information, and development of the document concerning safety and projects management.

INL has an experience in performance of such works as it is responsible for the experimental fast neutron reactor EBR II, where the processes on drainage and sodium processing have been fulfilled. INL also has a successful experience in performance of works in joint groups on spacing of spent fuel BN-350.

At present the sodium drainage works and sodium processing unit (SPU) design works are competed and construction of the building is held, and producing of main and acquisition of accessorial equipment are carried out.

In 2003 cooperation in the sphere of the listed works was expanded and the United Kingdom jointed Kazakhstan and USA. The assistance of the Great Britain is carried out through the Department of trade and industry. At present the specialists from RWE NUKEM render their assistance in training of Kazakh specialists in methods of projects management, risks valuation procedures, and transfer rich experience in the sphere of solidification of radioactive wastes. The specialists from the United Kingdom also have an experience in processing of metal sodium, and they share the experience with Kazakh colleagues.

Besides the works on the NDF project the American and English parties finance the works within the limits of international projects of International scientific and technical center (ISTC). The works on series of projects are performed. At the conference the state of affairs in four projects will be considered:

1. The project on development of experimental processing of radioactive alkali into geo-cement stone and equipment for the realization of this project.

2. The project on alternative technology for processing of radioactive alkali (as an alternative to the previous project).

3. The continuation of the works within the project on cesium traps.

4. The project on removal of the sodium residues from the BN-350 reactor.