U.S.-RUSSIA MPC&A UPGRADES AT THE BELOYARSK NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

Year
1998
Author(s)
C. R. Hatcher - Los Alamos National Laboratory
Mark Soo Hoo - Sandia National Laboratories
Michael Haase - U. S. Department of Energy
Roger Showalter - Sandia National Laboratories
K.R. Mikkelsen - Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Mac Forehand - Los Alamos National Laboratory
Cynthia Heinberg - Pacific Northwest National Laboratories
Oleg Saraev - Beloyarsk Nuclear Power Plant
Carrie Smarto - U.S. Department of Energy
Abstract
During the January 1996 meeting of the Gore-Chernomyrdin Commission, the Beloyarsk Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) was identified as one of the additional sites for cooperative projects on upgrading Materials Protection, Control and Accounting (MPC&A). Since June 1996, Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) have worked with BNPP to upgrade MPC&A at the facility. BNPP has an operating BN-600 600-Megawatt breeder reactor. SNL has been responsible for working with BNPP to implement physical protection upgrades to the Central Alarm Station, Fresh Fuel Storage Building, Spent Fuel Storage Area, and Vehicle/Personnel Portal. In addition, improved communication equipment for the Ministry of the Interior (MVD) guards and training of personnel were provided. PNNL has been responsible for coordinating Material Control and Accounting (MC&A) upgrades at BNPP. PNNL, in conjunction with LANL, has implemented such MC&A upgrades as a computerized nuclear materials accounting system, training in MC&A elements, nondestructive assay instrumentation for fresh fuel, installation of a fork detector for measuring spent fuel, and installation of an underwater video camera for verification of spent fuel serial numbers.