Safety and International Cooperation for VVER Nuclear power plants

Abstract

The safety of CIS and Eastern Europe Nuclear Power Plants is a serious concern throughout the world. The features of design and operation of the Soviet PWR (VVER) have been recently revealed. This paper is to introduce the technical characteristics, together with the issues and background of safety countermeasures for the operating VVER. The reference data is taken mainly from IAEA technical documents. The safety of VVER-440/V-230 plants is a major concern, since these plants do not possess enough safeguards against fire, redundancy of ECCS, embrittlement of reactor pressure vessels and plant operational management. Therefore, an urgent response to secure safety features is strongly anticipated, based upon international practice and principles. In order to establish safety features for CIS and Eastern Europe NPPs, international cooperation has been progressed utilizing multiple frameworks; such as G-7, G-24, ECC, IAEA, OECD and WANO. Among them, IAEA has made considerable contributions by making design reviews of NPPs in those countries after 1990. Japan is also participating on cooperative activities through organization of training programs in Japan for nuclear specialists from those countries and the dispatch of specialists. © 1993, Atomic Energy Society of Japan. All rights reserved.