The Crisis Center is the principal information and management element of the emergency prevention system of "Rosenergoatom". The Center is located at 25 Ferganskaya Street, on the second floor of the building housing the Technical Directorate of the Rosenergoatom and VNIIAES. The Center was opened in March 2000.

The Crisis Center project is based on a concept embracing the best experience and ideas of the leading nuclear powers, the United States and France, and underpinned by up-to-date information technologies, computer equipment and telecommunications. The key peculiarity of the project is that it constitutes common information space for experts in all nuclear power organizations – an real opportunity for them to jointly find optimal solutions to whatever problems arising in the sector.

Today, the specialists of the Center effectively ensure its round-the-clock operation and are constantly enhancing their qualification through regular trainings with a view to further improve the Center’s methodological and technological base.

Originally, the project was meant for abnormal, scarcely probable situations requiring non-standard decisions and high expertise. However, it turned out later that the capacities of the Center can also be used on a routine basis. As a result, today, the Center has become an indispensable part of the Rosenergoatom’s corporate information system. For example, it has become good practice for the Rosenergoatom’s management to conduct weekly video conferences at the Center. During their meetings with representatives of the nuclear power sector, the managers of the Rosenergoatom receive timely information about the situation in the sphere.

The past years have proved the efficiency of the project and have prompted necessary revisions in the performance and methodology.

The establishment and development of the Crisis Center has become a strong stimulus for the improvement of the whole emergency prevention system of the Rosenergoatom, including the establishment of modern emergency centers at NPPs. Regular exercises and trainings prove the high efficiency of the Crisis Center and the whole emergency prevention system of the Rosenergoatom.

The Rosenergoatom has created and currently operates the emergency prevention and response system (SChSK). The system is used to plan, ensure preparedness, and conduct activities aimed at protecting personnel and areas of NPPs against emergency situation, both natural and man-made.

In structural terms, the Rosenergoatom’s SChSK is a sub-system of the Industry-Specific Emergency Prevention and Response System of Rosatom State Corporation (OSChS) and is operated in liaison with regional and municipal subsystems of the Unified State System for Emergency Prevention and Response (RSChS) according to the location of nuclear power plants.

The particularity of the Rosenergoatom’s emergency response system operation consists in a very efficient mechanism of cooperation in case of emergency. Appropriate resources and centralized reserves of finances and materials have been created at each NPP for containment and elimination of accidents and emergencies. Following the accident at Fukushima NPP all nuclear power plants were additionally equipped with mobile emergency units, newest systems were created for communication, public announcement, and information support. 

The availability of communication and public announcement systems is provided (24/7) by duty shift of the Crisis Center and operations control duty services (duty operators) of operating NPPs. The important place in the emergency response system belongs to the group for emergency assistance to nuclear power plants (EANPP) and coordinating bodies (committees on emergency prevention and elimination and fire safety) at operating NPPs. In the face of an emergency the group (EANPP) closely cooperates with technical support centers (TSC) created on the basis of the organizations which are general design contractors, chief designers, research advisors, as well as leading Russian institutions involved in matters of nuclear power industry. 14 TSCs are currently in operation. Each TSC has a 24/7 duty in place, and interaction with the Rosenergoatom’s Crisis Center is also organized.

The Regional Crisis Center (RCC) was also established and operated. It was established on the basis of the Rosenergoatom’s Crisis Center (CC) following recommendation of the Post-Fukushima Committee and resolutions of the WANO workshop (Moscow Center) regarding meeting the requirements of the Rules for Information Exchange between Participants of RCC and NPPs with RU VVER of the WANO Moscow Center. Emergency centers of Russian NPPs interact with RCC within the same scope as with CC, and there is also an option to request support from other foreign RCC member countries.

The Rosenergoatom’s emergency prevention and elimination system is a well-coordinated and interconnected system operating 24/7 and receiving information from NPPs in real time. The Crisis Center monitors main technology, radiation, environmental, and fire protection parameters 24 hours a day 7 days a week which are also submitted to Technical Support Centers thus creating unified information space for all participants of emergency response.

The Rosenergoatom’s emergency prevention and elimination system currently in place meets all requirements set for the participants of the Unified State System for Emergency Prevention and Response, is one of its most sophisticated links, and corresponds to the best global practice.