The safety of the NPP will be ensured by a deeply-echeloned protection system with effective barriers in the way of radiation and technical and organizational measures for their protection.

I)

The first barrier is fuel matrix, i.e. the fuel itself: being solid and having a definite shape, the fuel prevents fission products from spreading.
The second barrier is the casing of fuel elements – hermetic zirconium tubes that envelope the fuel pellets.
The third barrier is the hermetic walls of the equipment and pipelines of the first circuit.
Should the first three barriers fail, fission products will be stopped by the fourth barrier – accident localization system.

The accident localization system consists of hermetic barriers – containment and sprinkler system. The containment is a structure with a complex of hermetic equipment that ensures transportation of cargoes during repairs and penetration of pipelines, electric cables and people (manways, locks, hermetic pipe and cable penetrations, etc.).

The whole equipment of the reactor system is located in a hermetic protective shell (containment), which prevents radioactive emissions in case of design and off-design accidents.

The containment is made of reinforced concrete with inside steel lining and can stand seven-point earthquake, tornadoes, hurricanes, shock waves.

The containment protects the equipment from external natural and manmade impacts (wind, snow, earthquakes, shock waves).

Its massive structures safeguard the personnel and the population from nuclear radiation.

Before being commissioned the containment is tested for durability and solidity.

Special measuring equipment inspects the state of the containment in order to detect possible defects and deformations.

The containment envelopes the whole equipment and pipe network of the first circuit as well as the auxiliary systems containing the coolant.

The containment can stand the pressure that may occur in case of pipeline rapture.

The sprinkler system sprinkles cold water inside the containment in order to condense the vapor produced by leaks in the first circuit and to thereby reduce the internal pressure and temperature.

The sprinkler system is also used for fixing the iodine contained in the vapor and the air. For this purpose, the system is filled with special potassium metaborate solution, which is sent inside by three independent feeders.

II)

The personnel radiation safety system is based on the following principles:

personnel and population exposure dose should not exceed the level specified by the Radiation Safety Standard (96/99), Basic Sanitary Rules (72/87), General NPP Safety Provisions (88/97), Basic Safety Criteria and Requirements (03-33-93), Sanitary Rules for NPP Design and Operation (88/93).

In order to comply with the above standards the plant is equipped with a multi-channel safety system.

1.each channel is independent: the failure of one channel produces no effect on the work of the others;

2. each channel can prevent an accident on its own without help from the other ones;

3. each channel is equipped with systems that can ensure both active and passive feed of boric acid into the active zone with no use of automatics and electricity;

4. each channel is regularly tested for reliability: if any defects are found, the reactor system is cooled down;

5. the whole equipment of each channel is safe and efficient and can stand strongest possible earthquakes.

6. each channel is quick and efficient enough to ensure radiation and nuclear safety under any conditions, even under heaviest possible design accident.

The channels are independent because:

they are located in different places;
and have independent energy supply and process control systems.

III)

The plant has two cooling systems:

System that feeds water to turbine condensers and auxiliaries and cools them down - non-essential services.
System that feeds water to the essential services of the reactor compartment – this system is significant for safety.

All cooling systems are based on water circulation principle. The water is taken from the Tsimliansky reservoir.

Hot water is poured into an 18 sq km cooling pond.

The services of the first cooling system can work under normal conditions.

The services of the second cooling system can work under emergencies and accidents.

The second system is isolated from outer reservoirs and has special cooling ponds.

Before being supplied to the second system the water is desalinated.

IV)

The spent fuel is stored in the cooling pond for three years and is taken out from the NPP in TK-13, highly-safe containers that can prevent spill even in case of railway accident.

In order to prevent radioactive gas concentration in gas vents, the plant applies special iodine and aerosol gas treatment filters.

The plant’s ventilation system emits much less gas than allowed by the relevant standard.

A special automated system ensures constant control over radiation safety measures.

Liquid and solid radioactive waste is treated, stored and burned in special facilities throughout the life of the NPP.

V)

Rostov NPP has separate sewage systems:

sanitary sewers of the normally occupied area;
sanitary sewers of the controlled access area;
rain water system;
production sewer systems for oil-contaminated flows.

Utility fluids undergo full mechanical and biological treatment. After treatment, the waste of the controlled access area is sent to a special treatment system for repeated treatment or to a technical water supply system for repeated use by essential services.

Production oil-contaminated wastewater is treated first by Crystal system and then by chemical water treatment system.

Solid non-radioactive industrial waste will be stored and processed in a special facility.