IAEA sends second expert mission to Chernobyl NPP
MOSCOW. June 1 (Interfax) - An expert mission sent by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is visiting Ukraine's decommissioned Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) this week to carry out nuclear safety, security and safeguards activities, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said.
The mission, which is the IAEA's second to the Chernobyl NPP in the past six weeks, is part of efforts to help ensure nuclear safety and security in Ukraine, the Ukrainian media said, citing the IAEA website.
Ukraine, which also has four operating NPPs with a total of 15 reactors, has requested the IAEA's technical assistance in this regard, according to the press release.
During their three-day stay at the Chernobyl NPP and the Exclusion Zone around the facility, the team of IAEA specialists will provide support on radiation protection and the safety of waste management and nuclear security, Grossi said. IAEA safeguards staff will also conduct verification activities at the site, where various radioactive waste management facilities are located following the 1986 accident, he added.
One of the team's priorities is to provide technical advice on re-establishing the automated radiation monitoring system in the Chernobyl NPP's Exclusion Zone. The experts will also assess the status of the facilities at the site and provide training on radiation monitoring equipment delivered by the IAEA in April.
Furthermore, IAEA inspectors and technicians will verify declared nuclear material and activities and confirm the functioning of remote safeguards data transmission from the Chernobyl NPP to IAEA headquarters which was re-established last month.
As regards the country's operational reactors, Ukraine said eight are currently connected to the grid, including two at the Zaporizhzhya NPP, three at the Rivne NPP, two at the South Ukraine NPP, and one at the Khmelnytskyi NPP. The seven other reactors are shut down for regular maintenance or held in reserve. Safety systems remain operational at the four NPPs, and they also continue to have off-site power available, Ukraine said.