11 May 2023 17:52

IAEA's OSART mission to visit Beloyarsk NPP in November

YEKATERINBURG. May 11 (Interfax) - International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts will conduct an Operational Safety Review Team (OSART) mission at the Beloyarsk Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP), Sverdlovsk Region, in November, and the BNPP is completing preparatory activities, according to the High-Velocity Neutron corporate publication.

Specifically, the BNPP has been preparing for the mission since 2018, having currently completed 81 of the 111 planned activities, including establishing an operational order, adjusting the existing procedures to meet IAEA requirements, and training and educating personnel.

"Preparation for the OSART mission is entering the final stage. Headquarters are conducting repeated self-assessments for compliance of our procedures with IAEA requirements, developing a preliminary package of information, and updating the presentations," according to the publication.

The mission's goal is to assess whether BNPP's situation is in line with IAEA safety standards, and there are nine areas under consideration, including operations, maintenance and repair, accident management, radiation protection, and other areas.

The Beloyarsk NPP began operating in April 1964, and it generates around 16% of the electricity in the Sverdlovsk Region. The first two power units with AMB-100 and AMB-200 thermal neutron reactors have been decommissioned because of depleted resources. Power units with BN-600 and BN-800 high-velocity neutron reactors have been operating since 1980 and 2015, respectively.