Arranging Spent Fuel Verification Campaign in NPPs - Experiences in Finland

During the past 30 years numerous amounts of Spent nuclear fuel measurement campaigns have been arranged in Finnish nuclear installations. Finland has two nuclear reactor sites Loviisa (2xVVER 440 units) and Olkiluoto (2xBWR units). STUK has a practice to have two national NDA campaigns annually on both sites. These NDA measurements are a part of STUK’s national and independent verification activities. In addition, several Member States Support Programme to the IAEA Safeguards (MSSP) campaigns have been conducted over the years. The methods applied in the campaigns are Spent Fuel Attribute Tester, SFAT; Fork Detector, FDET and Gamma Burn Up verification method, GBUV. In 2009-2014 prototype of Gamma Emission Tomograph was tested and used under IAEA support programme task JNT 1510 in Sweden, Italy and Finland. In 1980’s and 1990’s the attendance of foreign experts to the campaigns was relatively easy. Usually providing participant’s personal data in advance was sufficient. Since 2001 the security requirements have become much stricter. As a rule, security vetting is mandatory for those applying entry passes to the facility. Guest entry to the areas, where nuclear material is stored or handled, is usually provided only to international EC and IAEA inspectors. Occupational and working safety requirements are also getting stricter. Entry pass applicant should pass occupational safety training course of 8 hours and half a day facility specific training. Participation of an external expert to a 2-3 day test campaign requires accomplishment of relatively heavy 1,5 day training program. Moreover, the introduction of new measuring systems into the facility usually requires acceptance procedures. Information on mechanics, materials, cables and electric systems should be provided to the operator and to regulating authority. The device may be inspected physically in order to verify that the documentation provided is corresponding with the reality. Finnish NPP operators have very positive attitude towards the STUKs programmatic measurement campaigns and test campaigns arranged by MSSPs. However, they must follow their own guidance. This paper describes the current requirements applied in Finnish Nuclear installations. More specifically, the paper describes the arrangements of Gamma Emission Tomography campaigns arranged 2009 - 2014.