Rivne NPP Radwaste Treatment Plant Ready for Comprehensive Testing
A project for construction of solid radioactive waste treatment plant (SRTP) was launched in 2005 at Rivne NPP in the framework of TACIS international technical assistance project in cooperation with the European Commission. The main objective of the project is to improve operational safety level through the implementation of the advanced innovative technologies for radioactive waste processing, which, in turn, will lead the radioactive waste management system at RNPP to a new modern level.
The construction of this plant will reduce radioactive waste amount generated during operation and already placed in the storage facilities, and condition waste for its transfer to specialized enterprises and subsequent disposal. The implementation of this project will contribute to environmental safety and improvement of environmental performance at the nuclear power plant.
The radioactive waste treatment plant consists of a number of facilities that will allow processing of waste generated not only during power units operation but also during their decommissioning. The final product of processing will be ready for long-term storage and disposal in specialized enterprises for radioactive waste management.
According to recommendations of the IAEA and the European Commission and taking into account international experience, the process line of radioactive waste treatment plant includes seven facilities. Four facilities: retrieval facility (ONET, France); sorting and fragmentation facility for solid radwaste (Nukem, Germany); supercompaction facility Megane 15 (Nukem, Germany) and activity measurement facility HS 541 (Envinet, Czech Republic) were supplied in the framework of TACIS Project. The remaining three facilities: cementing facility (Envitek, Ukraine), oil and metal decontamination facility (Spetsergetikos Consortium, Lithuania, Ukraine) are funded by the Energoatom Company. Functional tests were performed on all facilities that are already installed to date. Testing of auxiliary systems was completed at the radioactive waste treatment plants: active drains, ventilation, firefighting, communications and video surveillance systems. As regards the construction, the thermal system in the building was closed and administrative measures were taken to form a strict dosimetric control zone.
Stage 1 of comprehensive testing on radioactive waste simulators, the so-called cold tests, is planned from 20 to 26 December with the participation of representatives of the Energoatom Company, SNRIU and Rivne NPP specialists. From 1 March 2018, Stage 2 of comprehensive tests is planned using real radioactive waste. Successful completion of these hot tests will give start to the operation of the first radioactive waste treatment plant at operating Ukrainian NPPs.
