Building Nuclear Safety Together

Transcription

1 Building Nuclear Safety Together The Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation (INSC) Nuclear Safety affects people worldwide. Only global cooperation makes a change.

2 Background and Outlook As the Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation (INSC) enters its second phase ( , EUR 200 million), it will continue to promote high standards of nuclear safety amongst nuclear regulators in non-eu countries, radiation protection and the application of efficient and effective safeguards for nuclear materials. The focus will be on providing support to build and develop nuclear safety capacities so as to enable countries to achieve their nuclear ambition. Special attention will be paid to safeguards as the proliferation of uncontrolled nuclear material poses a major security risk should it fall into the hands of terrorists, for example. For the first time, work will start in Africa given the need to address the repercussions associated with uranium mining in the region. Finally, initiatives to improve the health and environmental situation of the population in and around Chernobyl will continue where possible. While the EU recognises that the use of nuclear power is a sovereign decision, it is in the EU s best interest that nuclear installations are operated safely, and that nuclear materials are properly accounted for. The EU views the establishment of a robust and solid nuclear framework as a global priority. This is to be achieved through effective cooperation aimed at preventing accidents and establishing consensus on the highest safety standards. The INSC Programme directly responds to the need for EU action in the field of nuclear safety by pursuing these goals. The first Nuclear Safety Cooperation Programme ( ) came into force in Its main objectives aimed at the strengthening of regulatory authorities, the promotion of an effective nuclear safety culture, and the safe management of spent fuel and radioactive waste in non-eu countries. In recent years, the Instrument has substantially extended its geographical scope to include South East Asia and Latin America, although it continues to support ongoing nuclear safety projects in the countries of the former Soviet Union. During its first phase, the Instrument covered more than 20 partner countries worldwide and had a budget of EUR 525 million for i.e. around EUR 75 million per year. The Fukushima Daiichi accident of March 2011, along with the legacy of Chernobyl, highlight the ongoing global importance of nuclear safety and confirm the need to continue efforts to improve nuclear safety to meet the highest standards at the global level. Both accidents clearly demonstrated that the health, social, environmental and economic consequences of a nuclear accident may extend well beyond national borders and, potentially, worldwide. Following the Fukushima Daiichi accident, the EU initiated comprehensive risk and safety assessments of operating nuclear power plants in EU neighbouring countries. These so-called stress tests have been undertaken in Armenia thanks to INSC financial and technical support.

3 INSC : Overview of Expenditure RUSSIAN FEDERATION BELARUS Moscow Smolensk UKRAINE Chernobyl Shelter Fund Transforming Chernobyl's destroyed unit 4 into stable and environmentally safe state Nuclear Waste Treatment Development of remediation plans and urgent actions for uranium legacy sites MONGOLIA MEXICO MOROCCO GEORGIA ARMENIA UZBEKISTAN KYRGYZSTAN TAJIKISTAN IRAQ JORDAN EGYPT CHINA Beijing Regulatory Support Enhancing the capacity and effectiveness of the regulatory body THAILAND VIETNAM PHILIPPINES MALAYSIA SINGAPORE INDONESIA BRAZIL Emergency Preparedness Enhancing the regional emergency preparedness and response system ARGENTINA Safeguards Cooperation Strengthening safeguards capabilities and enhancing nuclear material accountancy in related nuclear fuel cycle facilities Expenditure level under the Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation (INSC) 0 > 5 million EUR 5 > 10 million EUR 10 > 25 million EUR > 25 million EUR

4 INSC Achievements I In Ukraine, the programme s main beneficiary, INSC provided targeted support to the nuclear regulatory body and operator so as to raise safety levels. It also contributed to improvements in radioactive waste management and nuclear safeguards in general. Significant financial support was granted to the Chernobyl Shelter Fund (CSF), managed by the EBRD on behalf of the donor countries. The stabilisation work on the existing shelter of the Chernobyl unit 4, the design of the new safe confinement and the preparation of the site were all completed. Lastly, the new safe confinement s arch is in the process of finalisation, and completion of this work is foreseen for October In Armenia, projects were launched concerning the Medzamor nuclear power plant to address urgent safety issues. Such projects included staff training, assistance to the nuclear energy regulator, and the development of a waste management strategy in view of upcoming nuclear power plant decommissioning activities. In Belarus, cooperation with the regulator was strengthened in order to improve its capabilities in dealing with the licensing process related to the construction of a nuclear power plant and to cope with the associated planning. INSC Achievements II The cooperation projects under INSC provided support to nuclear regulators and capacity building in Egypt, Jordan and Morocco. Cooperation with Iraq started with the provision of training and the implementation of a project to establish the safe disposal of radioactive waste from closed-down nuclear installations. In South East Asia, projects to support regulatory authorities were approved for Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. In Latin America, projects were launched with the nuclear regulatory body and operator in Brazil. In Mexico an extensive waste management project began. In Georgia, cooperation continued with relatively small projects supporting countries nuclear energy regulators for radioactive waste management. A regional project creating a legislative and regulatory framework for the remediation of uranium mining legacy sites in Central Asia was agreed. Cooperation projects have begun with Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan; they aim to remediate various former uranium production sites, and start with feasibility studies and environmental impact assessment. Lastly, Mongolia benefits from an ongoing project which aims to establish a regulatory framework for uranium mining and milling operations, including training. In China, a cooperation project with the Chinese National Nuclear Regulatory Authority and its technical support organisations is ongoing. The project aims to enhance the nuclear safety regulatory regime in China in accordance with internationally recognised standards and best practices. It hopes to strengthen China s preparedness in the event of a severe accident, and to develop a strategy for the management of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel. Cooperation with IAEA is ongoing and currently focuses on the further development of a global nuclear safety culture, capacity building of regulators and safe waste management.

5 INSC Achievements I INSC : Thematic Overview In Ukraine, the programme s main beneficiary, INSC provided targeted support to the nuclear regulatory body and operator so as to raise safety levels. It also contributed to improvements in radioactive waste management and nuclear safeguards in general. Significant financial support was granted to the Chernobyl Shelter Fund (CSF), managed by the EBRD on behalf of the donor countries. The stabilisation work on the existing shelter of the Chernobyl unit 4, the design of the new safe confinement and the preparation of the site were all completed. Lastly, the new safe confinement s arch is in the process of finalisation, and completion of this work is foreseen for October In Armenia, projects were launched concerning the Medzamor nuclear power plant to address urgent safety issues. Such projects included staff training, assistance to the nuclear energy regulator, and the development of a waste management strategy in view of upcoming nuclear power plant decommissioning activities. In Belarus, cooperation with the regulator was strengthened in order to improve its capabilities in dealing with the licensing process related to the construction of a nuclear power plant and to cope with the associated planning. In Georgia, cooperation continued with relatively small projects supporting countries nuclear energy regulators for radioactive waste management. A regional project creating a legislative and regulatory framework for the remediation of uranium mining legacy sites in Central Asia was agreed. Cooperation projects have begun with Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan; they aim to remediate various former uranium production sites, and start with feasibility studies and environmental impact assessment. Lastly, Mongolia benefits from an ongoing project which aims to establish a regulatory framework for uranium mining and milling operations, including training. INSC Achievements II The cooperation projects under INSC provided support to nuclear regulators and capacity building in Egypt, Jordan and Morocco. Cooperation with Iraq started with the provision of training and the implementation of a project to establish the safe disposal of radioactive waste from closed-down nuclear installations. In South East Asia, projects to support regulatory authorities were approved for Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. In Latin America, projects were launched with the nuclear regulatory body and operator in Brazil. In Mexico an extensive waste management project began. In China, a cooperation project with the Chinese National Nuclear Regulatory Authority and its technical support organisations is ongoing. The project aims to enhance the nuclear safety regulatory regime in China in accordance with internationally recognised standards and best practices. It hopes to strengthen China s preparedness in the event of a severe accident, and to develop a strategy for the management of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel. Cooperation with IAEA is ongoing and currently focuses on the further development of a global nuclear safety culture, capacity building of regulators and safe waste management. MEXICO ARGENTINA BRAZIL MOROCCO BELARUS UKRAINE GEORGIA UZBEKISTAN KYRGYZSTAN ARMENIA TAJIKISTAN IRAQ JORDAN EGYPT MONGOLIA CHINA THAILAND VIETNAM MALAYSIA INDONESIA PHILIPPINES Thematic areas of the Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation (INSC) Regulator support Waste management Safeguards Regulator support Waste management Regulator support Safeguards

6 Management and Remediation of Uranium Legacy Sites: The Case of Central Asia Support in nuclear waste management is an important part of the work under the INSC. A flagship project in Central Asia is underway. Uranium ore mining and milling in the Central Asian region carried out between 1944 and 1995 provided approximately 95 % of the uranium production of the Soviet Union. This resulted in the legacy of about 1 billion tons of waste from uranium ore mining and processing. After 1995 many of the conventional uranium mines were closed and a considerable number of uranium legacy sites were left without appropriate monitoring and maintenance. A strategy on remediation priorities in Central Asia was developed through a baseline technical document. This report identified hot spots and priorities for site remediation activities in the most affected countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Under the INSC, the EC has funded eight projects amounting to EUR 11.5 million, including six mining sites and two regional projects. The projects generally aim to improve the safety of uranium legacy sites in Central Asia by building consensus among national and local authorities, and to prepare the basis for future remediation works. Specifically, actions focus on increasing protection against radiation exposure for the population of Taboshar through the construction of a water treatment facility, as well as improving stakeholder involvement in remediation activities within the region. The INSC has also funded Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and Feasibility Studies (FS) for the region that will result in the identification of necessary remediation works and their technical specifications, including in Taboshar. The situation in this particular area is serious and requires urgent action. As a result, the construction of a water treatment plant in Taboshar is a first priority.

7 Mitigating Impact Promoting social and economic development in Ukraine EU PARTNERS Ukraine Ministry of Emergency Situations, Rivne Region State Administration, Volodymyrets Rayon Administration, Volodymyrets Technical College, inhabitants of the Volodymyrets District, Rivne-based Consumer s Cooperative Company FACTS & FIGURES EU Contribution: EUR Duration: 48 months, January 2009 December 2012 Geographical area: Volodymyrets, Rivne Region, Ukraine Supporting small-scale farmers in growing fruit and berries in the Rivne region. We didn t believe that someone would help us to start our own business. At first we hesitated to participate since we had no previous experience or knowledge of gardening. Thanks to the support of the EU we learnt how to grow fruit trees and berries. This way we no longer have to pick polluted forest berries and mushrooms. CONTEXT Project participants The Rivne region in Ukraine is one that was most affected by the Chernobyl disaster in Even today the soil is contaminated and radiation is high. As a result, berries and mushrooms in the forest are contaminated and pose a risk to the welfare of local families. The radioactive contamination of the soil has been one of the main reasons for economic decline. In addition, people suffer from a lack of experience in starting their own business and a lack of knowledge of modern agricultural technologies. In order to address these issues the EU supports inhabitants of the region with material, knowledge and advice on gardening. OBJECTIVES The project aimed to create favourable conditions for growing environmentally friendly agricultural products and to improve the socio-economic situation of the area, along with the quality of life and health of the population. Specifically, a key objective was to increase the production of radiologically clean fruit and berries by improving the skills of the rural population in agricultural and economic activities. In turn, it was hoped that the regional unemployment rate will decrease. IMPACT Local people are now cultivating healthy fruit and berries. Over 40 hectares of gardens have been planted, including apple plantations, black currant, red currant, gooseberry and strawberry fields. The welfare of the local rural population has increased, their agricultural skills have improved and the unemployment rate in the region has declined.

8 In the Volodymyrets district many former collective farms collapsed following the Chernobyl disaster. Only two farmsteads were registered in Much of the land was not used for more than a decade and villagers survived on state support, remittances from emigrant workers and small-scale production on house plots. The project provided the inhabitants in the region with the material, knowledge and skills necessary to plant fruit trees and berries. The project participants received tons of organic fertilisers, mineral fertilisers and lime. Using these fertilisers the inhabitants could prepare the soil for gardening and produce non-radioactive fruits and berries. The EU provided garden equipment, tools and mini-tractors so that the rural population could cultivate the gardens and fields. Almost 70 households participated in the project and have become economically independent. As a result, the welfare of these families has increased, in terms of both health and economic opportunities. Young farmer on project tractor in Zelene. The DVD enclosed in this publication provides further information on this project.

9 Assisting Nuclear Regulatory Authorities in their work Training & Tutoring EU PARTNERS Governments of Armenia, Belarus, Brazil, Egypt, Georgia, Indonesia, Jordan, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, the Philippines, Thailand, Ukraine and Vietnam FACTS & FIGURES EU Contribution: EUR 9 million I would like to thank you for the opportunity given to me to attend and participate in design safety and safety evaluation training courses in Ljubljana. I acquired so much new knowledge which will be very useful for me. Abdul Qohhar Director of Licensing for Nuclear Installations and Materials Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency Indonesia Start: January 2012 CONTEXT The safe use of nuclear energy requires strict regulation. Around the world the Nuclear Regulatory Authority of a country plays an important role in verifying that all requirements are met. Consequently, EU support is often focused upon these authorities, and through the EC a number of training and tutoring activities are funded. So far more than 15 nuclear safety authorities and technical support organisations have expressed their interest in collaborating with the European Union to upgrade their work. Training contributes directly to the improvement of national and international nuclear safety, and is necessary to ensure that the authorities carry out their work under the best possible circumstances. The presence of professional and competent staff is therefore crucial. Tutoring is also an indispensable element for the enhancement of the beneficiaries capabilities. It offers the best possibilities for the transfer of knowledge, and has a long-term character in that it develops interpersonal cooperation and relations between all experts, mentors and students. The creation of an NRA that possesses highly competent human resources is vital given the challenges faced by staff working in the field of nuclear safety. By nature it is technically demanding, and employees are exposed to a continuous flow of new information which necessitates general, in-depth and specific training.

10 OBJECTIVES The main objective of this EU project is the provision of training and tutoring to the employees (experts) of National Regulatory Authorities and their Technical Support Organisations in view of strengthening national capabilities in nuclear safety. The cooperation activities will support NRAs in their effort to become self-sufficient in terms of technical management and the regulation of nuclear systems. Specific training and tutoring activities are structured around four key areas: authorisation; review and assessment; inspection and enforcement; and development of regulations and guides. The project s general focus is on nuclear safety, but actions also aim to address radiation protection, waste management and decommissioning activities. IMPACT The European Nuclear Safety Training and Tutoring Institute (ENSTTI), the professional development body of the EU technical support organisations, was entrusted with the development of the nuclear safety assessment section of the project. ENSTTI offers 36-week training and 34-month tutoring over the period In accordance with the Institute s policy, experts from European technical expert organisations provide training and tutoring which takes place within the technical support organisations operational units. Since the project s inception in January 2012, six training modules were successfully conducted and attended by 66 participants from partner countries. Feedback from participants has been excellent, and a professional network of EU experts and trained professionals from partner countries is growing. In 2013, the first tutoring activities started within the German, French and Lithuanian technical support organisations.

11 Chernobyl: Making the area safe again EU PARTNERS Ukraine, international donor community The European Union is the largest contributor to the funds restoring the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant site to an environmentally safe condition. Chernobyl Shelter FACTS & FIGURES EU Contribution: EUR 400 million (20 % of total) Duration (construction of New Safe Confinement): 8 years ( ) Geographical area: Ukraine (Chernobyl) CONTEXT The Chernobyl accident is recorded as one of the largest nuclear disasters in human history, which brought devastation and suffering to Ukraine, Belarus and Russia. The magnitude of the accident and lack of appropriate emergency planning found the management team and national authorities unprepared to respond adequately. The Shelter enclosing the remains of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (ChNPP) unit 4 was constructed under extremely hazardous conditions shortly after the accident on 26 April It was not intended to be a permanent solution and became increasingly unstable, allowing the ingress of rainwater and risking collapse due to seismic disturbance, extreme weather and further deterioration of the structure. The possibility of contamination of the surrounding zone persisted until the highly radioactive material contained under the Shelter was adequately isolated from the environment.

12 In 1995, following up on an earlier TACIS-funded project, the European Commission took the initiative to set up a group of experts from the EU and Ukraine to develop a number of solutions to transform the site into an environmentally safe condition. The group was joined in 1996 by experts from the US and Japan. At the beginning of 1997, the G7 Nuclear Safety Working Group reached an agreement with representatives of the Government of Ukraine to further develop the study, resulting in the Shelter Implementation Plan (SIP). The SIP includes a number of tasks to secure and stabilise the sarcophagus, the major task being the construction of a new confinement shelter. So far, the European Union, being at the forefront of the effort to mitigate the consequences of the Chernobyl accident, has committed through the European Commission some EUR 400 million to projects concerning Chernobyl. The contributions are given on a yearly basis until FUNDING IMPACT The CSF is an international fund managed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The Fund was created for the realisation of the Shelter Implementation Plan (SIP) to remediate the consequences of the nuclear accident in Chernobyl. In particular, it provides the financing required for the construction of the New Safe Confinement (NSC) which is intended to protect the release of radioactive material from the unit which suffered the accident in 1986 and provide the equipment required for its deconstruction. Both the Interim Spent Fuel Storage Facility (ISF 2) and the New Safe Confinement (NSC) are due to be completed in The cost of the two projects amounts to some EUR 2 billion. The EU is the largest single contributor among a row of international donors, its contribution amounting to some EUR 400 million by the end of 2013.

13 Supercompactor NPP Smolensk EU PARTNERS Russian Government (Rosatom, Russia) FACTS & FIGURES EU Contribution: EUR Duration: 60 months (August 2007 July 2012) Geographical area: Russia Supply of a Supercompactor and associated equipment for the new radioactive waste treatment facility (NRWTF) at Smolensk nuclear power plant (NPP). CONTEXT The Russian contracting authority, Rosenergoatom and the Smolensk NPP intended to improve the nuclear safety of the treatment of radioactive waste arising at the site. Smolensk NPP consists of three units of the RBMK type and is located in western Russia, some 140 km south-east of the town of Smolensk. The Smolensk NPP required safety improvements as identified in reports. In the previous facility, the waste was not sorted in line with international practices and was not leak tight. Hence there was the potential for leakage of radioactive material into the surroundings. The methodologies employed for solid waste reduction and disposal lagged behind similar facilities in Western European nuclear establishments. Nuclear Waste

14 OBJECTIVES The objective of the equipment supply was therefore to: ensure full compliance with the State safety regulations and rules; enable the operation of a new radioactive waste training facility (NRWTF) to be on a level comparable to EU best practice; permit the use of equipment and monitoring systems; enable the application of state-of-the-art testing methods and thus the avoidance of potentially dangerous and inaccurate testing methods. The large-scale modernisation project is the New Radwaste Treatment Facility (NRWTF), being broken down into detailed technical requirements for a new Supercompactor and other equipment. The Supercompactor itself reduces waste volumes by 3 5 times by in-drum compaction, using a compactor of 95-ton force capacity. IMPACT The following units were installed in the Smolensk NPP RWTF: two grouting units for liquid radioactive waste (LRW); LRW processing facility using ion exchange; incinerator for low-level solid and liquid radioactive waste; sorting unit; 95-ton force waste compaction unit for low-level SRW (Supercompactor); low-level metal decontamination facility; smelter for thermal decontamination and scrap metal processing. Apart from the equipment, other work included the provision of modern I+C systems (instrument and control), an improved radiochemical analysis system and an enhanced emissions monitoring system.

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16 MN EN-C European Commission Directorate-General for Development and Cooperation EuropeAid Rue de la Loi 41 B 1049 Brussels europeaid-info@ec.europea.eu December 2013 doi: /25403