31.03.2011 Public Information Centre of Novovoronezh NPP

Public inspection was held at Novovoronezh NPP

On March 30, 2011, a public inspection was held at Novovoronezh NPP (Voronezh region) in the form of Doors Open Day. Journalists and active readers of Rossiyskaya gazeta newspaper and Russian TV-channels film crews took part in this inspection.

Such open public inspections are held at all operating Russian NPPs (branches of Rosenergoatom Concern OJSC). They are organized on the initiative of Rosenergoatom Concern management and aimed at demonstrating a high level of safety and reliability systems of modern Russian power units to public and mass-media representatives.

Novovoronezh NPP visitors had an infrequent opportunity to see and estimate actions of emergency services, NPP personnel and responsible executives during the scheduled emergency response drill which was held at the NPP. According to Plant Director Vladimir Povarov, such inspections are held at all Rosenergoatom Concern OJSC NPPs. Particularly, actions in case of total de-energization of NPP power unit auxiliaries were worked out one of these days at Balakovo and Kalinin NPP.

In the course of this training at Novovoronezh NPP such issues as emergency response in case of emergency situation at the NPP were worked out. The task was complicated for NPP personnel - two unscheduled emergency situations were laid one on another and were worked out on the same day.

They also checked personnel and technical equipment readiness to eliminate consequences of a conditional accident, readiness and reliability of control, alarm and communication systems, and working out of the procedures for interaction between participants of emergency response at all levels. The forces and facilities of fire department were engaged into this training.

According to Rosenergoatom Concern Communications Department Head Sergey Novikov, who arrived at the NPP to meet RG “landing party”, operating VVER-type reactors at NNPP are fully functional not only at Russian NPPs, but also at NPPs in other counties, including Finland, China and the Eastern Europe countries.

Media tour participants also visited the NNPP-2 construction site with native reactor systems, meeting the highest international standards.

The media tour was ended by briefing with the participation of two NPP Directors: operating NPP Director Vladimir Povarov and being constructed NNPP-2 Director Sergey Petrov. In the course of this briefing the participants could ask questions both the NPPs leading specialists and get irrefragable answers.

Currently, Novovoronezh NPP is operated in normal mode. Power units No 3 and No 4 are in operation, and power unit No 5 is under reconstruction and modernization.

The radiation background at the plant and adjacent territory is on the level corresponding to the power unit normal operation and does not exceed the natural values.

Novovoronezh NPP is a branch of Rosenergoatom Concern OJSC. The plant is situated on the bank of the Don River, 42 km to the south of Voronezh. This is the first Russian NPP with VVER-type reactors (pressurized water reactors of the vessel type using light pressurized water). Each of the five plant reactors is the main one – a prototype of serial power-producing reactors: power unit No. 1 with the VVER-210 reactor, power unit No. 2 with the VVER-365 reactor, power units Nos. 3, 4 with the VVER-440 reactors and power unit No. 5 with the VVER-1000 reactor. Power unit No 1 was put into operation in 1964, unit No 2 – in 1969, unit No 3 – 1971, unit No 4 – in 1972, unit No 5 – 1979).

At present three power units are in operation (power units Nos. 1, 2 were shut down in 1984 and in 1990 respectively).

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