Russian Nuclear Security Update #14
Guards for Mayak; 60th anniversary of Pu production at MCC; cleanup after nuclear submarines; Russian nuclear security regulations for El-Dabaa; nuclear powered cargo ships; IAEA trainings in Obninsk
Rosatom agency pro-force hires guards for Mayak
June 14, 2024
Vestnik Mayaka (Mayak Herald), a weekly newspaper published by Mayak, Russia’s defense nuclear fuel cycle enterprise, publishes a job announcement inviting candidates for the position of a guard in Atomokhrana (Atomguard), Rosatom’s agency pro-force organization. Atomokhrana shares protection responsibilities with the National Guard. The advertised salary for a position starts from 35000 rubles (~$400 as of June 17, 2024) and benefits. According to Federal State Statistics Service data, the average salary in Russia in March was 87740 rubles, while the average salary in Chelyabinsk Region, where Mayak is located, was 67450 rubles. Candidates are expected to have a high school education and a clean criminal record.
Plutonium production at Mining and Chemical Combine celebrates 60th anniversary
April 18, 2024
Vestnik GHK (Mining and Chemical Combine Herald), a monthly newspaper published by Mining and Chemical Combine (MCC), Russia’s nuclear fuel cycle enterprise, publishes a historic overview article on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Radiochemical Plant, whose original mission was to extract weapons-grade plutonium from the fuel irradiated in plutonium production reactors. The first batch of irradiated fuel was loaded into dissolver equipment on April 20, 1964, and the first plutonium was obtained in May 1964. The last batch was loaded into dissolver equipment (see picture) on March 5, 2012, after plutonium production reactors at MCC were shut down in 2010 within the framework of the U.S.-Russian Agreement on Cooperation Regarding Plutonium Production Reactors. In 2011, the Radiochemical Plant was transformed into a Fuel Fabrication Plant that now manufactures MOX-fuel for the BN-800 reactor at Beloyarskaya Nuclear Power Plant. Fuel Fabrication Plant still has a plutonium purification facility as part of its equipment.
Rosatom expects to remove all spent fuel from Gremikha Naval Base before the end of 2024
June 6, 2024
Rosatom started disassembling the last core of the liquid metal coolant reactor that was used to propel a series of nuclear submarines between 1962 and 1997. A total of 11 such reactors were manufactured – 9 for use in submarines (7 submarines with one reactor and 1 submarine with two reactors) and two reactors for full-scale mockup stands at the Institute of Physics and Power Engineering in Obninsk and Alexandrov Institute in the Leningrad Region[1]. A feature of this type of reactor is that the reactor core is reloaded as a single unit, not as individual fuel assemblies. Gremikha Naval Base was the only base equipped to reload these reactors. After the decommissioning of submarines and mockup stands, unloaded cores were stored at Gremikha. 10 cores have already been disassembled over the last 12 years, and spent fuel has been sent for reprocessing at Mayak. After the last core is disassembled and sent to Mayak, Gremikha will be free of spent nuclear fuel. The infrastructure to handle decommissioned nuclear submarines was established with international support within the framework of the Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction.
Russia to use Russian nuclear security regulations during construction of El-Dabaa NPP in Egypt
June 10, 2024
Atomstroyexport, Rosatom’s foreign trade and engineering company managing the construction of nuclear power plants (NPP) outside of Russia, is expected to award the contract for advisory support of the Egypt customer to Atomenergoproekt, General Design Organization of reactors under construction in Egypt. Support will be provided in the form of online or offline meetings between the contractor and the Egypt customer. Meetings will be held twice a year through 2030. Each meeting will be up to 10 working days in duration and involve 5-15 Egyptian experts.
According to the published draft statement of work, supporting materials used during advisory services must contain regulations used during the construction of NPPs in Russia and Egypt. The appendix to the statement of work contains a list of these regulations that includes nuclear security regulations as well. In addition to the Egyptian regulations and IAEA recommendations, this list contains several Russian regulations, including two Federal Norms and Rules documents establishing comprehensive mandatory requirements for physical protection and nuclear materials accounting and control (although the list refers to outdated versions of the documents).
It is not the first time Russia has used its nuclear security regulations during the construction of NPPs abroad. The licensing basis for Akkuyu NPP in Turkiye contains many Russian nuclear security regulations. Many of these regulations were developed with U.S. financial and expert support within the framework of the U.S.-Russian cooperation.
Other items of interest
Rosatom conducted an annual export control conference attended by 170 participants.
Rosatom conducted the 14th conference on cybersecurity in physical protection systems attended by 100 participants.
Rosatom Technical Academy hosted training for the operation of physical protection systems for 30 experts from 18 countries and a regional school on research nuclear reactors for participants from 11 countries. Both events were organized in cooperation with the IAEA.
Rosatom and the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade are considering building nuclear-powered cargo ships. Atomflot, Russia’s operator of the civilian nuclear-powered fleet, has operated the nuclear-powered cargo ship Sevmorput (Russian acronym for Northern Sea Route) since 1988.
Russia and Guinea will conduct a feasibility study on using floating NPPs for power generation in Guinea.
[1] А.V. Zrodnikov et al. Problems and Approaches to Management of Spent Nuclear Fuel of Liquid Metal Coolant Reactors of Nuclear Submarines. Izvestiya Vuzov. Yadernaya Energetika, #1, 2007, p.13 (in Russian). https://static.nuclear-power-engineering.ru/journals/2007/01.pdf