Alexander Krasnoschekov, Director of Branch №1 of SevRAO FSUE

– The Andreeva Bay project is one of the “concentrated” examples of international cooperation

The international group coordinating the projects that are being carried out at Anreeva Bay in the framework of the program of global partnership on nuclear and radiation safety in North-Western region of the Russian Federation met in Moscow Feb 19 2009. The group discussed its activities in 2008 and plans for 2009–2010. The parties also discussed the work of the coordination technical group, a task force consisting of technical experts of organizations and companies of the donors, the Federal Center for Nuclear and Radiation Safety and SevRAO. The work of the experts is supervised by Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation as the international partnership that is being implemented at Andreeva Bay for the moment is really unique. The group heard reports of each of the parties concerning specific projects, discussed the construction of necessary infrastructure, schedules of individual projects and the general long-term plan of action. The group pointed out the necessity of effective cooperation of all projects. The key result of the meeting is agreement on further financing of the projects and coordination of this financing with all parties.

The Andreeva Bay project is one of the “concentrated” examples of international cooperation. Naturally, many years of so active partnership could not but give serious results. Without this cooperation the problems of Andreeva Bay would have been solved but much slower than they are being solved now. So, I can say that the group is showing quite effective work.

Last year lots of activities were financed by the United Kingdom, particularly, the construction of sites, communications and constructors’ villages, the purchase of equipment for protection system, the construction of a light shelter for production and storage of containers, the transfer of cable passages for future construction projects, the equipping of a second class laboratory for support of all studies carried out in the framework of the projects. Norway also provided financing in 2008.

Big work was done to reconstruct the terminal, which will be used for transportation of fuel to Mayak PA, one of the key elements of this structure. Sweden financed training of personnel in the field of safety management. Italy sponsored the work to normalize the radiation safety of the construction of shelters 201 and 202 of radioactive waste storage sites. Russia financed preparations for radioactive waste treatment.

In 2009 we will pay special attention to the completion of designing work and the reception of all expert resolutions so as we can start the construction.

Note

The group comprises representatives of Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation, the Federal Center for Nuclear and Radiation safety, SevRAO, the donors (the UK, Norway, Italy, Swede, TACIS, EBRD), companies specializing in treatment of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel (UGP-Sogin, SSM, Ispra Research Center, etc), which are jointly financing the projects to build radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel treatment systems at Andreeva Bay.

The work of the experts is supervised by Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation as the international partnership that is being implemented at Andreeva Bay for the moment is really unique.  

Effective interaction and dissemination and exchange of information helps the parties to effectively implement their projects at Andreeva Bay.