An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts said Russia’s Rosenergoatom had strengthened operational safety by addressing the findings of an IAEA review which took place in 2018. The team also encouraged the corporation to continue its efforts in improving its safety performance.
The Operational Safety Review Team (OSART) team concluded the fiveday follow-up Corporate OSART mission on 29 October 2021. It was carried out at the request of the Government of the Russian Federation. Rosenergoatom is a subsidiary of the Russian state corporation Rosatom and currently owns and operates all 38 nuclear reactors across the Russian Federation.
Corporate OSART missions are conducted at utilities that own or operate nuclear power plants. They review the utility’s centralized functions that affect the operational safety of its plants. The missions objectively assess safety performance using IAEA safety standards and propose recommendations and suggestions for improvement where appropriate.
Follow-up missions are standard components of the OSART programme and are typically conducted within two years of the initial mission.
“Rosenergoatom has made significant efforts in addressing the findings of the 2018 OSART mission. The follow-up team observed measurable improvements in the review areas,” said team leader Fuming Jiang, Head of Operational Safety Section at the IAEA. “The corporation has effectively used centralized functions to implement multiple initiatives and actions to address the identified issues and improve safety at its power plants.”
The three member team comprised one expert from Slovakia and two IAEA officials.
The team observed that several findings from the 2018 review were fully addressed including:
- Rosenergoatom has improved its independent oversight function by assessing leadership and safety culture to drive safety performance.
- The company has enhanced monitoring of its maintenance performance indicators to improve its effectiveness in preventing the failure of systems, structures or components.
- Rosenergoatom has improved its operating experience feedback process, such as reporting and identifying trends in the development of low level and minor events to prevent severe events.
The team noted that while significant progress has been made, more time and further efforts are required to fully address the following two findings from the 2018 review:
- Managers should continue to implement planned corrective actions with the aim to eliminate severe injuries and fatalities to ensure that improvements are sustainable.
- The company should continue to monitor and review the implementation of its Severe Accident Management Guidelines improvement programme until all planned corrective actions are completed.
“The corporate OSART mission was very helpful for us. We have gone through all areas for improvement listed in the initial report, and succeeded in achieving important progress,” said Alexander Shutikov, First Deputy Director General of Rosenergoatom. “We are grateful to the experts of the OSART mission for the professional and competent support. We are not going to stop at the achieved results and will strive to further improve our safety performance.”
The team provided a draft report of the mission to Rosenergoatom on the mission’s final day. Rosenergoatom management and the Russia’s Nuclear Regulatory Authority of the Russia Federation, which is responsible for nuclear safety oversight in the country, will have the opportunity to make factual comments on the draft. These will be reviewed by the IAEA and the final report will be submitted to the Government of the Russia Federation within three months.
Background
General information about OSART missions can be found on the IAEA website. An OSART mission is designed as a review of programmes and activities essential to operational safety. It is not a regulatory inspection, nor is it a design review or a substitute for an exhaustive assessment of the plant’s overall safety status.
The IAEA Safety Standards provide a robust framework of fundamental principles, requirements, and guidance to ensure safety. They reflect an international consensus and serve as a global reference for protecting people and the environment from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation.