Implementation of a Long-Term Sustainability Program for MPC&A Systems Developed Within the Framework of Cooperation with the U.S. at Rosatom Enterprises and Organizations

The Russian-US MPC&A Cooperation, which began in 1993 with activities to provide upgrades to MPC&A systems at one enterprise (Elektrostal), has now expanded to include activities at more than twenty Rosatom nuclear sites. At meetings of the Joint Coordinating Committee (JCC), formed under the intergovernmental agreement dated 2 October 1999), the following activities were negotiated: • Improvement of sustainable development for upgraded protection, control, and accounting systems; • mutual understanding with regard for the need to continue activities under the Joint Action Plan (JAP) developed by Rosatom and the Department of Energy. The JAP was defined by both parties as a “living” document subject to revision as planned tasks were implemented and revised. Because the MPC&A upgrade activities had been completed at a number of Rosatom sites, a revised version of the JAP was adopted in 2009. This version was the first to include measures for long-term sustainability of the MPC&A systems. The Joint Sustainability Working Group, established by the JCC, prepared a Joint Transition Plan (2009 - 2012). This Plan enables the existing MPC&A programs upgraded within the framework of US-Russian cooperation to be transferred from joint activities to independent support from the Russian Federation (RF). The Plan includes specific measures for site and infrastructure projects, schedules for their implementation, and information regarding cost allocation. The Plan may be periodically reviewed and revised throughout the transition period with the approval of the co-chairs of the JSWG. The Plan calls for various types of sustainability activities aimed at specific areas, such as equipment maintenance, personnel training, development of procedures and instructions, and performance testing. Specialists at virtually all Rosatom enterprises note that there are difficulties in maintaining operability of the MPC&A equipment installed under the US-Russian program. In most cases, this is associated with the service life of the equipment, the inability to acquire spare parts, the limited budget to provide adequate salaries for system operators, and supplies of the necessary consumables. The transition period is the time when the RF and US partners will be able to resolve these problems and develop RF programs that will ensure system operability.