A team of 12 experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) representing the UK, France, China, Argentina, Iran, Brazil, Belarus, and South Africa has commenced an OSART mission at Units 4 and 6 of the Novovoronezh Nuclear Power Plant (a branch of JSC “Rosenergoatom,” part of the Electric Power Division of Rosatom State Corporation).
“Novovoronezh NPP is keen on hosting the OSART mission; we ourselves initiated this process. Any OSART mission conducted at a power unit significantly improves the condition of the equipment and enhances operational safety by verifying compliance of plant procedures with IAEA requirements,” said Vladimir Povarov, Director of Novovoronezh NPP.
The head of the IAEA expert team expressed gratitude for the invitation, noting, “This invitation reflects the station’s, regulatory body’s, and Russian Government’s ongoing commitment to advancing the operational safety of Novovoronezh NPP.”
Over the course of three weeks, the international experts will evaluate nine critical areas of the plant’s operations that are essential to nuclear safety: Leadership and management for safety; Training and qualification; Operations; Chemistry; Maintenance and repair; Technical support; Operating experience feedback; Radiation protection; Accident management.
The foreign specialists will review documentation, conduct interviews with personnel from Novovoronezh NPP and contractors, observe station staff in action, and inspect production facilities. At the conclusion of the OSART mission, a report will be prepared detailing the experts’ findings, including areas for improvement and examples of best practices that could benefit other nuclear power plants worldwide.
In 2015, Novovoronezh NPP successfully hosted an OSART mission at Unit 5.
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The Operational Safety Review Team (OSART) is an IAEA mission program established in 1982. Its primary goal is to assist nuclear power plants in enhancing operational safety and to disseminate positive experiences to other plants.
The Novovoronezh NPP, named after V.A. Sidorenko, is a branch of Rosenergoatom JSC, part of Rosatom’s Electric Power Division. It was the first Russian NPP to employ VVER reactors (pressurized water reactors). Over 60 years of operation, seven VVER units have been constructed and commissioned at the Novovoronezh site, four of which remain in operation. Units constructed at Novovoronezh serve as reference designs for NPPs both in Russia and abroad. Unit 6 of Novovoronezh NPP, featuring a VVER-1200 reactor of Generation III+, was the first new-generation nuclear power unit to enter commercial operation worldwide. It serves as a reference design for new NPPs in Russia and internationally. Unit 4, equipped with a VVER-440 reactor, began operation in 1972. As the oldest operational unit in Russia’s nuclear fleet, it celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2022 and continues to reliably supply electricity.