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Armenian Experts Become Acquainted With the Experience In RAW Management In Bulgaria

19.09.2014

A training of managing experts from the Armenian NPP took place in Kozloduy from 15 to 19 September 2014. The visit was organized under the Program for Technical Cooperation of IAEA under “Improving the operational safety of the Armenian NPP in accordance with international practices” project.

The one-week training included lectures of experts from KNPP and SERAW. The visits to the site were focused on the various aspects of radioactive waste management in Bulgaria.

During their stay the Armenian experts had meetings and received information for SERAW’s functions and structure, for the treatment and storage of operational RAW, for the processes of decommissioning of the shutdown facilities and the management of European projects related to those activities.

At the end of the training the group’s leader, Mr Vovik Atoyan, Deputy Safety Chief Engineer of the Armenian NPP summarized: Our main topic was RAW management and the safety of the related activities. We came here to see how this issue was solved in the Bulgarian nuclear power plant and to make a comparative analysis of the way we approach this issue. The most interesting for us was the establishment of the State Enterprise for management of RAW, the organizational steps related to that in our country are now just starting. That is why it was very useful to become acquainted with the structure of this type of company, with the road you have walked for its establishing, to learn how the RAW management and decommissioning functions were separated. It was very important to see how the things happen on the common site where there are shutdown units and units in operation (at the moment in the Armenian NPP there are one shut down unit and one operating unit). Our situation is the same but we still haven’t started the decommissioning activities. There are several known principles for decommissioning and we think that the Bulgarian approach (for continuous dismantling) is correct as it allows the experience of the experts who have operated the capacities to be used. The delay would mean a loss of information for the structural and technological specifics of the units, subject to decommissioning. From my point of view, Bulgaria has done the right thing starting the decommissioning before losing the staff, engaged with the operation and maintenance of the shutdown units. The acquaintance with the technological processes for decommissioning and RAW management during the visit was very useful as till now we have practically just accumulating RAW, and we are to take care for their suitable treatment and storage”.

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