Challenges to Ensuring Operability of Protection Systems while Maintaining Risk Reduction at the Joint Institute for Power and Nuclear Research - Sosny,Belarus

摘要

The Joint Institute for Power and Nuclear Research – Sosny (JIPNR-Sosny) is engaged inmultilateral projects focused on upgrading the systems of protection for weapons-gradenuclear material. Critical protection and infrastructure upgrades are being financiallysupported by the United States Department of Energy National Nuclear SecurityAdministration (DOE NNSA).Several components have been completed and accepted by the site, including:1. modernizing and expanding the radio communications system2. commissioning of a new physical protection system at the Yalina subcriticalstand;3. construction and integration of a new Central Alarm Station (CAS); use of TIDs;4. improved nuclear material measurement capability;5. upgrades to outer perimeter gates and several protective force enhancements.Future work under the project will include consolidation of all nuclear material into anew vault with enhanced Material Protection Control and Accounting (MPC&A)measures. Protection will further be enhanced by a project to install and commission anew active perimeter around the vault building as part of the technical assistance proposalof the Federal Republic of Germany.The project envisions activities to support the sustainability of the nuclear materialprotection system. This sustainability effort poses challenges for the Institute, such asprocurement of spare parts and equipment, introduction of an automated inventorysystem for spare parts, development of maintenance plans and schedules, and upgradingthe training program.Operation and maintenance of all these systems and training of personnel requiresignificant manpower and financial resources. To support site safety, national budgetfunds are focused on phased equipping all the JIPNR-Sosny buildings with a firealert/alarm system. The fire alarm system and the automated radiation emergency systemfor warning staff of situations that can occur at nuclear and radiological facilities areinstalled but will be monitored in a location other than the CAS.This paper discusses the challenges and planned multilateral solutions related to ensuringrisk reducing operability of protection systems at the JIPNR-Sosny.