Competitive bidding for the OL4 project has started. TACIS project continues in Novovoronezh

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1 Issue 24 May 2012 Photo: Posiva Competitive bidding for the OL4 project has started TACIS project continues in Novovoronezh 20 years of Fenno-Russian co-operation Pioneers in final disposal of spent nuclear fuel

2 Forerunner in nuclear power expertise TVO Nuclear Services Ltd (TVONS) is a subsidiary of Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO), offering you high quality services from the TVO group. Our services cover the entire life span of a nuclear power plant and are based on over 30 years of experience and nuclear power know-how. We have achieved excellent results with the help of our competent personnel and continuous improvement, and the internationally acclaimed availability factors of the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant are proof of this. Reliability in energy production is strong proof of competence. TVONS signifies fluent co-operation with companies and other parties, domestically and abroad design competence and solid practical skills honest pride in personal skills and willingness to share competence a responsible, planned and committed working culture high goals and relentless work to achieve them TVONS electronic client magazine Editor in Chief: Mikko Leppälä Editors: Elina Mäkitalo, Riitta Tenlén, Susan Pietilä Layout: Alasin Media Oy Publisher: TVO Nuclear Services Oy Olkiluoto FI Eurajoki Finland Tel Fax

3 Editorial 05/2012 Final disposal on the agenda MAY 2012 In addition to the tsunami disaster and subsequent nuclear power plant accident at Fukushima, the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel has gathered a lot of public interest of late. Internationally, final disposal has made very slow progress. In addition to Finland, Sweden, and France, no new candidates for starting the final disposal in the 2020s have appeared. Many countries with a large amount of nuclear power have no concept for the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel. A few countries are planning to start the final disposal in the 2030s, while others have said they would start after the 2050s. The controlled, timely final disposal of spent nuclear fuel is part of responsible nuclear power plant operation. The final disposal itself is not a political issue, but whenever a construction permit is issued for a nuclear power plant, it should also be ensured that the permit includes a requirement and plan for the final disposal of nuclear fuel. At present, this is not the case worldwide. Finland is acting responsibly. In Finland, all construction and operating permits automatically include a requirement for arranging final disposal. This has been the case in Finland since the 1970s, when the first operating permits were issued to the plant units in Olkiluoto and Loviisa. Economy by the end of Twenty-nine years of work allows us to submit the permit application on schedule within this year. Processing the application will take the authorities approximately two years. Once the permit has been received, the construction of the final disposal facility may begin; this is estimated to take place in The final disposal is scheduled to start around In addition to the other interesting topics, you can read about the TVO group s expertise in spent nuclear fuel management and final disposal on the pages of this magazine. Reijo Sundell Managing Director, Posiva Oy During the past few years, the EU has taken a very active role in starting final disposal in all EU countries. In 2009, the EU started the IGD TP project (Implementing Geological Disposal Technical Platform) with an aim to start, by 2025, new final disposal projects in addition to Finland, Sweden, and France. The co-operation aims to assist the countries that do not yet have extensive plans for final disposal. The project also includes final disposal research and demonstration projects supported by the EU. Another significant step within the EU is the new nuclear waste management directive, published in 2011, requiring all member states to present a programme and schedule for the final disposal of nuclear fuel by Finland and Posiva have shown how the planning and implementation of final disposal should proceed, both within the EU and the rest of the world. Posiva has followed the final disposal programme approved in 1983; it requires that a construction permit application be submitted to the Ministry of Employment and the 3

4 1. Olkiluoto 1 4. Olkiluoto 4 6. Spent fuel interim storage, KPA 2. Olkiluoto 2 5. Repository for low-level and 7. Underground rock characterization facility 3. Olkiluoto 3 intermediate-level waste for the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel Competitive bidding for OL4 project has started Text: Susan Pietilä, photos: TVO TVO's OL4 project has proceeded in to the competitive bidding which is a part of the bidding and engineering phase.the plant unit to be constructed must meet the Finnish safety requirements, which are strict and advanced by international standards. The competitive bidding for the OL4 project was started in March Bids for the new power plant unit to be constructed at Olkiluoto are expected to arrive in early The planning of the new nuclear power plant unit ensures that the plant options are suitable for construction in Finland and at Olkiluoto. The Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority has been involved in the preliminary applicability analyses from the very beginning. The plant options for OL4 include three pressurised water reactors: EPR from AREVA, APR1400 from Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, and APWR from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and two boiling water reactors: ESBWR from GE Hitachi and ABWR from Toshiba. Since the plant options differ in terms of construction, the constructability analyses will also be evaluated from different viewpoints. The method of implementation used during construction is also under review. Opportunities to utilise Finnish knowhow and manufacturing are also studied at the same time. TVO emphasises the importance of functional delivery chains and seamless co-operation with the authorities. All of the experience and lessons learnt from the construction of the OL3 plant unit will be essential when proceeding with the new project. The call for bids requests for OL4 were sent out in March. TVO is increasing the number of experts working on the OL4 project. At present, the project has over 50 employees. At present, the organisation leading the OL4 project is evaluating the plant options in terms of safety, constructability, delivery method, and usability, and preparing for the comparison of the bids. 4

5 TACIS project continues in Novovoronezh Text: Eeva-Liisa Yli-Piipari, photo: Novovoronezh NPP The inauguration of the emergency feedwater system for the secondary side of the steam generator at Unit 5 was celebrated at Novovoronezh NPP in Russia on 24 January TVONS and TVO, in a consortium with the Spanish consultancy company Iberdrola, have worked at Novovoronezh NPP in an EC financed TACIS project since The aim of the On-Site Assistance project is to transfer operational safety culture, and to support the implementation of nuclear safety improvement projects. The project comprises two parts: Soft On-site Assistance and Hard On-site Assistance. With respect to the Hard OSA portion, the main goal of the consultant has been to ensure the timely completion of projects with high quality, and to offer coordination and communication to support the plant. On 24 January, it was time to celebrate the completion of the project. - Representatives from the European Commission, the consultant, suppliers, and plant management all expressed their satisfaction with the work performed and the completed project, says Project Manager Eeva-Liisa Yli-Piipari from TVONS. The Soft OSA will continue at the plant until the end of September. 5

6 20 years of Fenno-Russian co-operation in radiation and nuclear safety Text and photo: Riitta Tenlén TVO Nuclear Services (TVONS) and the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) have agreed to continue the co-operation and to arrange six seminars in For existing power plants, the seminars discuss topics of personnel training and operational safety, and for new nuclear power plants, the themes involve issues of interest to both parties. The radiation and nuclear safety co-operation between Finland and Russia started 20 years ago. The first seminar for this year was held in Sosnovy Bor in February. The topical subject was the lessons learnt from the accident in Fukushima. As a consequence of the accident at Fukushima NPP in 2011, much attention has been paid to the safety features of Finnish and Russian nuclear power plant units, and plans for improvement measures have been prepared. - We exchanged experience concerning the safety of plant operation, and also the effects of external factors (such as flooding, subcooled cooling water, loss of external grid), says Project Manager Matti Lehto from STUK. Preparation for severe accidents, different scenarios, and internal and external communication were also among the topics covered. Pekka Viitanen, the manager of TVO s Radiation Safety unit, presented the analyses made at Olkiluoto after 6

7 There is always something to improve. Matti Lehto, STUK the accident at Fukushima, and the planned plant improvements. Experts from Sosnovy Bor also gave several presentations related to the issue. Second seminar discussed maintenance and chemistry The co-operation seminar held at Olkiluoto in March 2012 discussed maintenance and chemistry functions. The Russian participants of the seminar came from the Leningrad and Kola NPPs, and the authority Rostechnazdor. The topics of the seminar included organising nuclear power plant maintenance, maintenance during operation and annual outages, and equipment decontamination in connection with these functions. Lectures were given by TVO s experts, Timo Puisto from Mechanical Maintenance and Pekka Simula from the Fuel and Waste Handling department. A new topic was chemistry functions, which was presented by office manager Nina Paaso from Operations Support. Her presentations discussed the use of chemicals during maintenance, worker induction training for chemistry, and the classification system for safetyclassified materials. Representatives from the Leningrad and Kola NPPs explained their own procedures related to maintenance, chemical handling, equipment decontamination, and the implementation of service. The goal of the Fenno-Russian co-operation in radiation and nuclear safety is to prevent nuclear power plant accidents and radiation accidents in Finland s nearby regions. 7

8 Co-operation to exchange experiences Text: Susan Pietilä, photo: TVO/Hannu Huovila The co-operation between Finnish and Russian authorities has continued for nearly 20 years. The radiation and nuclear safety co-operation is controlled by the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK), which receives EU funding for the co-operation through the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. In addition to nuclear energy, the countries also co-operate in the fields of healthcare and basic education, for example. 8

9 The seminars related to the co-operation, held in both Finland and Russia, usually involve STUK s responsible project manager and a varying number of experts from different fields from both Olkiluoto and the nuclear power plants of Sosnovy Bor and Kola. Training Engineer Anne Niemi has been involved in the radiation and nuclear safety cooperation between Finland and Russia as TVONS representative since last autumn. She is responsible for planning the schedules for the co-operation seminars, signing up lecturers, and handling many other practical tasks. Niemi also gives presentations related to her own area of expertise in the seminars. Niemi already participated in the seminars to present TVO s operation activities in her former position as a representative of Operational Safety, so she was already familiar with parts of the co-operation. This year, there will be a total of six seminars, three in Russia and three in Finland. The annual programme, drafted by TVONS and approved by STUK, determines the contents of the seminars for each year. Two of this year s seminars have already been held. The year s first seminar at Sosnovy Bor discussed the lessons learnt from the Fukushima accident. The second meeting, held at Olkiluoto, discussed chemistry issues, nuclear power plant maintenance, waste management, and decontamination. The seminars usually last for about one week. During this time, there are several presentations held by experts, with plenty of discussion afterwards. The discussions usually concern the means of action that is independent of the plant type in order to ensure that they are useful for all participants. Whenever possible, worksites related to the seminar topics are visited to see how the issues are handled in practical terms. The aim of the co-operation is to learn from others and to compare different approaches. Seminars for useful information exchange Anne Niemi says that the seminars are very rewarding and broad in scope. Niemi, who has technical training and work experience, has an unprejudiced view of the co-operation, even though the cultural differences are obvious in this issue, like others; in Russia, nuclear power plants have no female operators, and even in the co-operation projects, there are only two female representatives from the training department at Sosnovy Bor. Niemi says that the lack of a common language is sometimes a problem, but the meetings always have an interpreter, thereby allowing all parties to give presentations in their native language. When asked if TVO employees should participate in the seminars arranged by TVONS, Niemi says that you should absolutely join in to tell about your work and exchange experiences with your colleagues. - It is useful to see how others manage issues, and to gain new perspective on your own activities, says Niemi. MAY

10 Pioneers in geological final disposal of spent nuclear fuel Text: Elina Mäkitalo, photo: Posiva Posiva Oy, a joint venture of TVO and Fortum, is responsible for the final disposal of its owners spent nuclear fuel, research related to final disposal, and other expert tasks in their field. Posiva s unique expertise is valued both in Finland and internationally. TVONS is helping Posiva to commercially export its expertise outside Olkiluoto. - So far, we have sold research and expertise in groundwater flow measurement using instruments developed and patented by Posiva to third parties. Expert competence is also in high demand, but so far our resources have only allowed us to perform smallscale consultation. Our experts have plenty of work dealing with the research related to the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel here at Olkiluoto, says Reijo Sundell, Managing Director for Posiva. The work done at Olkiluoto in relation to the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel is groundbreaking, as no other country in the world has made as much progress in final disposal as Finland. - It is naturally a good idea to utilise our expertise for other similar projects. There is no point in reinventing the wheel, Sundell continues. - We will be submitting the construction permit application for the spent nuclear fuel final disposal facility this year. For a few years, work at our site will focus on research; after that, the focus will shift towards construction. After this stage, Posiva s expertise can be further utilised outside of Olkiluoto, Sundell explains. 10 The nuclear waste directive was approved within the EU in It states that power companies within the EU must make decisions concerning final disposal, and present a schedule and programme by 2015.

11 Posiva to submit construction permit application for final disposal plant at the end of the year Text and photo: Posiva Site studies related to the final disposal of spent nuclear fuel have been in progress at Olkiluoto since the 1980s. As part of the site studies, the underground bedrock research facility ONKALO is being excavated; it will reach the final disposal depth of 420 m, and continue downwards to 455 metres. ONKALO is used to collect the necessary additional information for the final disposal facility s construction permit application, which will be submitted this year. The bedrock is studied using the research methods of geology, chemistry, and physics. In addition to bedrock studies, ONKALO offers us the opportunity to develop bedrock construction and final disposal technology under actual conditions. In the future, ONKALO s bedrock spaces can be utilised during the construction and operation of the final disposal facilities. Posiva started the construction of ONKALO in Research has been ongoing since the start of construction. ONKALO includes a drive tunnel and three shafts: a personnel shaft, and two ventilation shafts. The tunnel has an inclination of 1:10; its width is 5.5 m, and it has a height of 6.3 m. Drilling of first test hole was successful At the moment, the excavation of ONKALO s driving tunnel has reached the lowest point of the current plans, which is 455 metres. The excavation for this year will be completed in May, when the latter demonstration tunnel and two shaft ends at 455 metres will be completed. The two demonstration tunnels of ONKALO will have a total of eight testing holes for final disposal. They are used to ensure how the holes that meet the final disposal requirements can be drilled in practice. At the same time, Posiva is gathering experience on the type of machine to use for drilling the actual final disposal holes. The first full-scale test hole for the final disposal capsule model was completed in ONKALO in mid-january. The test hole has a diameter of 11

12 1.77 metres, and it is 8.3 metres deep. The drilled test holes will be carefully studied using research methods that follow the bedrock s classification criteria and verify the physical properties of the hole. The results will be used to determine if the hole is acceptable. For the hole to be approved, both the physical dimensions of the hole and the classification criterion for the bedrock must be appropriate. Tracer research started in ONKALO At the final disposal depth of ONKALO, a study has been started using radioactive tracer materials injected into a hole drilled in intact bedrock. The REPRO project (Rock matrix retention PROperties) studies the retention of radioactive materials in bedrock with no significant waterways. The test evaluates how radionuclides are retained in the pore network of the bedrock. The aim is to place the final repository capsules in good bedrock that has very low fragmentation. The drilled hole of the REPRO study corresponds to a good-quality hole for a final disposal capsule, with no significant water-carrying structures. If the capsule were to be broken contrary to expectations, and if the bentonite buffer around it could not contain the radioactive substances, they would be retained in the pore network of the bedrock. Excavation at ONKALO replaced by civil engineering The main focus of the construction site has shifted from excavation to civil engineering. Construction Manager Lauri Piitari from Posiva says that civil engineering at ONKALO has proceeded to 3,820 metres, and will now continue towards the end of the driving tunnel, to 4,986 metres. For building technology, the focus in the underground research facility is on HVAC work. - The construction work at ONKALO is mainly focused on the technical level (-437 metres). We are building the concrete structures for the safety centre, and the concrete work for the lower ends of the personnel shaft and inlet air shaft. We are also surfacing the floor of the driving tunnel for approx. 60 metres. The goal for this year is to drill the personnel and inlet air shafts from a depth of 455 metres upwards to 290 metres during the coming summer and autumn. The drilling of the outlet air shaft is already complete 12