THE FIRST STAGE OF WORKS ON ASSISTANCE TO BUSHEHR NPP IN PREPARATION FOR IAEA OSART MISSION

In February 2017 SC Atomtechexport jointly with the specialists of SC VNIIAES (subsidiaries of Rosenergoatom, Joint-Stock Company) and Rosenergoatom, Joint-Stock Company completed the first stage of works on assistance to Bushehr NPP in preparation for IAEA OSART mission.

OSART mission (Operating Safety Analysis Review Team) is scheduled at Bushehr NPP between 13.02.2018 and 30.02.2018.

The key function of OSART program is to assess the activities on ensuring the NPP operational safety for its compliance with IAEA standards, which are developed and continuously improved on the basis of consensus between the member-states of International Atomic Energy Agency, as well as introduction of OSART methodology at the host plant to establish or improve its own self-assessment program. OSART mission is headed by IAEA representatives, the mission involves nuclear experts from different countries.

As a rules, the preparation to OSART mission takes over a year. It began at Bushehr NPP in September 2016. During this period Russian experts arranged a workshop on OSART methodology for Bushehr NPP top and middle-level managers, performed assessment of current operational safety state at the NPP and its comparison with the requirements of IAEA safety standards. These activities resulted in submission to the Iranian party of the integral report that included the findings of Russian experts and a draft plan of corrective actions. These works were performed with involvement of approximately 20 Russian experts and over 40 specialists from Bushehr NPP. The Russian experts produced their recommendations on the activities that require priority attention as well as outlined the good practices to be a positive example for other NPPs.

Latern on, Bushehr NPP management and personnel with support and under supervision of specialists from SC Atomtechexport will have to perform the works in those areas of IAEA attention, where the Russian experts produced their recommendations for further improvement of the NPP operational safety. In 4-5 months the Russian experts will perform the follow-up assessment of the effectiveness of the undertaken corrective actions.

It is also anticipated that the Russian representatives with render consulting for the Iranian personnel directly in the course of OSART mission.

COMPLETION OF PLANNED-PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE AT BUSHEHR NPP

SC Rusatom Service, a daughter company of Rosenergoatom, Joint-Stock Company, completed the performance of the works in the framework of planned-preventive maintenance at Bushehr NPP. The unit was connected to the grid at 20:27 of local time on 06.04.2017. That was the third unit outage performed at Bushehr NPP-1 with involvement of Russian specialists.

The planned-preventive maintenance is a set of organizational and technical actions regularly performed at the units of any nuclear power plants with the purpose of diagnostics of the equipment state and prevention of defects. The planned-preventive maintenance is aimed at prevention of premature wear of components, assemblies and mechanisms and its maintaining in operable conditions.

28 Russian companies took part in the maintenance with total number of the personnel engaged over 200 individuals. During the outage SC Rusatom Service completed all anticipated maintenance activities including maintenance of the main equipment: medium maintenance of the reactor with partial refuelling, overhaul of the reactor coolant pump, maintenance of the turbine plant with disassembly of three low pressure cylinders as well as a large scope of maintenance activities at the equipment of the automatic process control system and electric equipment, maintenance of equipment of the safety channels system.

All maintenance activities were completed in accordance with the schedule and were of due quality that ensured reliable and safe operation of the unit in compliance with the requirements of the regulatory documentation.