Russian Methodological and Training Center Results and Plans to Support Upgrades and Sustainability of the Russian Nuclear Material Control and Accounting System

During the years of collaboration under the U.S.-Russian cooperative Materials Protection, Control and Accounting (MPC&A) program, significant efforts were made to transform and improve the Russian nuclear material control and accounting (NMC&A) system. These efforts focused not only on enhancing NMC&A systems at nuclear facilities, but also on infrastructure development, including the regulatory framework, Rosatom and Rostekhnadzor inspections and oversight activities, training of inspectors and facility specialists, instrument and methodological support, and creation of a Federal Information System (FIS). At present, efforts are being directed towards developing an effective and sustainable NMC&A system. Since its inception, the Russian Methodological and Training Center’s (RMTC) mission has included intensive personnel training, as well as methodological support to facilities to transform and develop their NMC&A systems, and support to developing a national NMC&A and regulatory infrastructure. The sustainability of effective NMC&A systems is not achievable without advanced training of staff and methodological support to help facilities develop and enhance their NMC&A systems. The role that the RMTC plays, therefore, is critical for sustainability of the NMC&A system as a whole. The paper discusses those critical elements the RMTC addresses to sustain the Russian NMC&A system. It also presents the RMTC results achieved and the plans for its furtherance in the methodological area. These activities include development and introduction of nondestructive assay (NDA) methods and tools at nuclear facilities, development of regulatory documents and advanced training courses for the specialists involved in Rosatom and on-site inspections.