ninety reactor-years of slovenské elektrárne`s nuclear units

foratom:
Ukrainian crisis
will affect us
mo34:
Progress of works
mo34 construction
three times safer than
the Slovak average
MONTHLY NEWS FROM
MOCHOVCE AND BOHUNICE
POWER PLANTS
03
04
05
december 2014
Steam generator delivery to the Bohunice V2 nuclear power plant building site (1979).
NINETY REACTOR-YEARS OF SLOVENSKÉ ELEKTRÁRNE’S
NUCLEAR UNITS
S
lovenské elektrárne, an Enel
Group company, is celebrating 90 reactor-years of its
nuclear power plants: 30 years of
operation of the two reactors at the
Bohunice V2 Nuclear Power Plant and
15 years of operation of the two reactors at the Mochovce NPP. The four
units have produced 290 terawatt
hours of electricity and prevented
15 million tonnes of emissions from
being released into the air per year.
In 2013, an integrated assessment by
the prestigious Institute of Nuclear
Power Operations (INPO, USA) classified the four Slovak units as the
best of their type at the global level.
We achieved this success thanks to
our long-term systematic approach,
a combination of investments in
both equipment and people, as well
as thanks to our employees’ engagement in everyday operations, including effective general overhauls,
continuous improvement of equipment care, and the modernisation of
the power plants.
The participants at the gala event
held on the occasion of the anniversaries of the EBO V2 and EMO
commissioning, which took place
at Energoland at Mochovce on 28
November, included SE representatives, the Slovak experts who
had commissioned the four Slovak
nuclear units, Director General of
the European Atomic Forum FORATOM Jean-Pol Poncelet, Chairperson of the Nuclear Regulatory Authority of the Slovak Republic Marta
Žiaková, representatives of Slovak
and international nuclear energy
institutions, as well as the mayors
of the neighbouring municipalities
and other partners. “It is the life of
one common nuclear family that has
developed one step at a time. We can
feel pride in the wider community
which has enabled us to be celebrating here today,” said Nicola Cotugno, SE Operation and Energy Mana-
gement Director. “Thirty years is
a long period, and for sure you have
thought about things that happened either in our country or in our
personal lives. Thirty years is not only
the history of machines, turbines,
and reactors; it is mainly the history of people. People have allowed the
machines to operate well.”
A look back into history
Slovakia was among the first countries that started using nuclear
energy to generate electricity. The
construction of the first Slovak NPP
began in 1958. Today, the country
stands among the leaders in the
2
“The units are operated safely and reliably.
Safe operation also brings about confidence
in you from your neighbours. I believe that
the results you have achieved will continue
into the future.”
Marta Žiaková, Chairperson of the Nuclear
Regulatory Authority of the Slovak
Republic
The celebration of 90 reactor-years was an opportunity to think back on the experiences from the
construction and operation of the NPP.
Neither Slovakia nor the Czech Republic
are going to abandon nuclear energy.
According to Minister of Economy
Pavol Pavlis, the basis of the electric
energy industry of the Slovak Republic
is and in the long term will continue
to be represented by the nuclear
component. “In the current geopolitical
situation, we consider it a stable
energy commodity. Therefore, we will
support such developments in the EU
that respect sovereignty in defining
national energy mixes,” he said at the
8th Central European Energy Conference
in Bratislava.
percentage of nuclear energy to the
total production of energy, as well
as the achievement of performance parameters in our nuclear units.
The Bohunice V2 Nuclear Power
Plant produces electric energy in
two units with VVER 440/V-213-type pressurised water reactors that
were connected to the power grid in
1984 and 1985. After the completion
in 1987 of the town of Trnava’s central
heat supply system, supplied by the
Bohunice NPP, the V2 Power Plant
switched over to combined electricity and heat production, and now
it supplies both Leopoldov and
Hlohovec with heat. Starting in 2002,
a V2-unit modernisation programme costing EUR 500 million began
to be implemented, being completed in 2010 with a power uprating
to 505 MW/unit.
The Mochovce units, as well as
the units at Bohunice, are among
the newest VVER 440/V-213 nuclear units, and take advantage of all
the improvements executed in the
power plant. Each EMO unit produ-
E — december 2014
ces over 3,000 GWh of electricity per
year, which covers about 11 per cent
of Slovakia’s consumption. The first
unit has supplied electric energy to
the grid since the summer of 1998,
and the second unit since the end of
1999. In 2008, the gross power of each
was uprated from 440 to 470 MW.
These power plants, with a planned
service-life of 60 years, have produced 290 TWh so far, which is equivalent to the electricity volume that
would be consumed by Slovakia in
one decade.
Excellent operating results
SE’s nuclear power plants, covering
over 50 per cent of the energy consumed in Slovakia, achieve excellent
operating results and have become
number one in the world in their
class in terms of safety and operating
reliability. The integrated assessment
of performance indicators in the area
of operation, safety and reliability of
52 VVER 440 and 1,000 INPO reactors, which evaluates the period
of the last three years, ranked the
Slovak nuclear units among the top
five reactors in the world. Another
first place belongs to the Bohunice
NPP, which is the first power plant
equipped with the newest systems
for severe accident management.
The top performance of the Slovak
nuclear power plants was also confirmed by the magazine Nuclear Engineering International. In its assessment,
published in November 2014, of the
12-month performance at international nuclear power plants, it designated the pressurised water reactors
operated by SE as the best in their
class according to the stress factor,
achieving a value of 90.7 per cent in
June 2014.
“Mochovce is the first eastern-type
nuclear power plant to reach western
safety standards,” said EMO Director
Jordan Mandalov. Last year, the two
units produced 7,640 GWh of electricity. The benchmark eight-thousand
GWh was achieved by by Bohunice
last year; the power plant supplied
8,079 GWh, informed V2 Power Plant
Director Milan Molnár.
Greenhouse-gas-free operation
The numerous benefits stemming
from the operation of the two SE
nuclear power plants, in addition
to numerous job opportunities
and the development of the regional infrastructure around the four
Slovak units, include the carbon-free
production of electricity, preventing
additional emissions of 15 million
tonnes of CO2 annually. To eliminate the CO2 that has been saved
by the operation of the units since
being put into operation, 270 million
trees would have to absorb carbon
dioxide by photosynthesis for forty
years. Thus, the nuclear power plants
contribute significantly to Slovakia’s commitment to reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions into
the atmosphere. After the completion of Mochovce NPP Units 3 and 4,
more than 93 per cent of total electricity production will be carbonfree. In 2013, the net production
of Slovenské elektrárne’s nuclear
power plants (after the deduction of
in-plant consumption) amounted to
14,624 GWh. (e + r)
“In Europe today, the nuclear energy we use
provides 27 per cent of all electricity. The electricity is cheap, competitive, available 365 days
a year, and does not even produce any carbon.
Thus, it is also good in terms of climate change.
3
These are the most important reasons for the
continued use of nuclear energy.”
Jean-Pol Poncelet, Director General,
FORATOM
FORATOM:
THE CRISIS IN UKRAINE WILL AFFECT US
E
urope is similar to an aris- cy and general targets for 2020, for a Slovak. It is another reason to be
tocratic family, with centu- example a 40-per-cent reduction proud of Slovakia.”
ries of shared history, but in carbon emissions; the estab- The Head of Foratom expects the
when it comes to the nuclear issue, lishment of an energy union led by Ukrainian crisis to affect us next
we are divided: 14 members are Chairman Maroš Šefčovič, and the year, and there will also be questions
for nuclear energy, 14 are against, World Energy Outlook’s assumption regarding the aforementioned Enerand the European Commission is that nuclear energy will grow by 60 gy Union – what it means and what
somewhere in-between.” So said per cent in Asia and the Far East.
position nuclear energy will have
Jean-Pol Poncelet, Director General The representative of the Europe- in it. Poncelet considers the climate
of Foratom, during his visit to the an Atomic Forum did not hide his conference in Paris one of the most
Mochovce NPP at the celebration of delight that Slovak Maroš Šefčovič important events of 2015.
had become the Vice-Chairman of He concluded: “Over the few next
90 reactor-years.
Currently 131 reactors are in opera- the EC for the Energy Union. “It is years, our nuclear family will welcotion on the European continent; another reason to be proud of Slova- me Units 3 and 4 at Mochovce.”
Matúš Demko
they produce 27 per cent of the kia, because I am responsible for
electricity in the European Union, nuclear industry at the European
and create 53 per cent of its carbon- level, and in the European Commisfree energy. Poncelet identified sion we are defining a new policy
four positives for nuclear energy to guide us for the next five years
in the closing year: the EC’s deci- - the Energy Union. The objective
sion to green light the construction is to unite the representatives of all
of Hinkley Point in Great Britain; countries, and the person responthe adoption of a new energy poli- sible as the EC Vice-Chairman is
WHEN OUR FRIENDS
CAME TO VISIT
T
he meeting held with our
former colleagues on the
occasion of the 30th anniversary of V2 Unit 3’s commissioning looked as if we had invited old friends back to visit us. It
took place on the morning of 28
November, within the framework
of the celebration of Bohunice and
Mochovce Nuclear Power Plants’ 90
reactor-years at the Bohunice NPP.
We welcomed our former directors
Viliam Ziman, Juraj Kmošena, Adolf
Kršteník, and Róbert Guniš, as well as
shift engineers Ľudovít Pereszlényi
and Ladislav Kalinčík. Jozef Kehér,
the father of Slovak nuclear energy,
and other guests also attended. It was
interesting for them to return to the
workplace after so many years. EBO
Director M. Molnár spoke about life
today at the power plant. Afterwards,
guests were interested in many things - fuel, personnel, safety measures,
the power uprate... They recollected
and compared what had changed at
EBO over the last 30 years of operation.
It was with interest and surprise
that they visited a new emergency
control centre on the power plant’s
premises, and they were fascinated
by the functioning of the emergency
response system and the emergency
commission.
Milan Kačmar, one of the “younger”
retirees, who had been a member of
the emergency commission until the
•
“Considering the global
energy trends to 2040, the
World Energy Outlook 2014
is a strong reminder that if
we want to improve energy
trends, continuous political
efforts are necessary,” said
the Vice-Chairman of the
European Union responsible
for the Energy Union, Maroš
Šefčovič, in response to the
publication of this issue.
beginning of this year, asked most
of the questions in the emergency
control centre. He was particularly interested about severe accident
solutions. Bohunice’s guests then
continued the celebrations of 90
reactor-years at Mochovce’s Energoland.
Anna Vrúbelová
E — december 2014
4
15 years
since Mochovce NPP Unit 2
commissioning
22 December 1999, evening: Connection
of the second turbine generator.
Six nuclear units with a combined
maximum installed capacity of 2,640 MW
were connected to the grid in Slovakia.
29 – 30 December 1999: Power up to 35 per
cent reached.
MEETING OF THE NUCLEAR SAFETY
ADVISORY COMMITTEE
A
regular meeting of Slovenské elektrárne’s Nuclear Safety Advisory
Committee (NSAC) took place on
5 – 7 November. Its members are foreign
experts with long-term experience in
nuclear energy (John Moares, Great Britain; Peter Gango, Finland; Ignacio Lequerica, Spain and Gabor Vamos, Hungary). The
task of the NSAC is to objectively look at
the operation of our nuclear power plants,
and advise on how to further increase safety and reliability.
At the meeting, the committee members
conducted targeted interviews with NPP
directors and managers of central units at
SE headquarters. The interviews were part
of our preparations for a corporate review
by the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) in September 2015, which
will focus on the headquarters and central
(corporate) functions of SE. Recommendations from the NSAC meeting concerned
the further procedure for the self-assessment of central functions, and the preparation of documents for the corporate peer
review by WANO.
Within the regular rotation of NSAC
members, Chairman John Moares ended
his activity on the committee. While saying
farewell to the managers of SE headquar-
ters, he praised the results of Slovenské
elektrárne, the high level of professionalism, and the on-going endeavour towards
improvement which he had seen during his
years on the committee.
The gift of a shepherd’s axe (“valaška”),
which the Nuclear Power Plant Operation
Director presented to him, will also act as a
reminder of his cooperation with SE.
The next regular meeting of the NSAC, with
its new members, will take place in April
2015.
Ľubomír Krenický
PROGRESS OF WORKS AS OF NOVEMBER 30, 2014
Safety Highlights
•Total worked hours: 35 794 244
•Site work accidents:
•Frequency index = 0.64 (Enel I&R ref. in
2013: 0.90)
•Severity index = 0.0187 (Enel I&R ref. in
2013: 0.021)
F.I. = (n. of accidents with sick leave X
1.000.000) / total worked hours
S.I. = (n. of days lost x 1.000) / total worked
hours
Chamber of station nr 4 valves
•Decontamination system installation in
Room A113
NUCLEAR ISLAND
Unit 3 & Common
Completed activities:
•345 Rooms in the Reactor Building
partially ready for technological erection
start
•Completed activities of painting remedials
•Completed installation of Hermetic Cables
Penetrations (HCP)
•Completed cable ways installation in
various reactor building rooms
ECCS fitting penetration area
•Impulse lines in Room A202/1
Boron concentrate tank compartment
•HVAC system installation in Rooms 0024/1
and 0025/1
Corridor, Hallway, Stairs, Shaft
•Decontamination system installation in
Rooms A519/1 – A015/1
•Refuelling system component and
structures in Room A406
E — december 2014
HVAC System engine rooms
•HVAC system installation in Room
A0032/1
ECCS compartment
•Decontamination system installation
•ECCS piping installation in Room A002/1
Pressure accumulator compartment
•Decontamination system installation in
Room A525/1
•Carbon steel liner in Rooms A525/1 and
A526/1
Radiation monitoring blower room
•HVAC system installation
Electric switchboard room
•HVAC system installation in Room A317/1
and 416/1
Pipe bridge
•Radioactive waste treatment piping
installation
No Started activities during
the month
Unit 4
Completed activities:
Corridor, Hallway, Stairs, Shaft
•Fireproofing installation in Room A403/2
•Screeding works in Room A604 and A018/1
Secondary hydrogen combustion room
•Concreting works
Started activities:
Corridor, Hallway, Stairs, Shaft
•Main beams dismantling for plates
installation
CONVENTIONAL ISLAND
Unit 3 & Common
Completed activities:
•Steel structures erection for 6kV bus duct
•Erection 6kV bus duct 3BBT01 and 3BBT02
•Started activities:
•Cross side Electrical Building gas tight
treatment
•Mechanical Systems painting
•Individual tests on 6kV panels 3BBA
•Raw Water System commissioning
Unit 4
Completed activities:
•Lengthwise Electrical Building: completed
epoxy resin coating at level +14.70
No Started activities during the month
5
MOCHOVCE UNITS 3 AND 4 CONSTRUCTION PROJECT THREE
TIMES SAFER THAN THE SLOVAK AVERAGE
T
he first week of December at MO34
was devoted to occupational health and safety. Over the course of the
working days, employees and suppliers had
various activities focused on OHS: they
started the day with fruit, IRS and ProCare measured their vital functions and
performed blood tests, they learnt of the
consequences of risky behaviour, and how
to cope with stress. Nutrition expert Igor
Bukovský presented a talk on how to lead
a healthy lifestyle. And they participated in
practical demonstrations of firemen’s work.
During the Day of Health and Safety, which
took place in the new Mochovce Information and Training Centre on 4 December,
MO34 Project Director Giancarlo Aquilanti evaluated the main activities in the safety
area for 2014. These consisted in particular
of motivating workers and rewarding good
behaviour, communication campaigns, as
well as knowing and comparing best practices in other European countries. During
the year, practical trainings with up-to-date topics took place (hand-over and takeover of scaffolding, managerial duties, injury prevention, etc.) in which 254 workers
participated, and stress-handling trainings with 90 participants. And what about
next year? In 2015, stricter inspections are
under preparation within the scope of the
safety improvement action plan focused on
new companies and new workers on-site,
and the prevention of repetitive actions –as
repetition itself is among the causes of risky
behaviour. In the last five years, no serious
or fatal injuries have occurred in the MO34
project. However, there is still much work
ahead, so we must be very careful.
This year, the largest number of unscheduled events were recorded and investigated, which fortunately did not end in injury although they could have. There were
11 such events last year, and 36 this year –
thanks to the active approach of the Safety and Environment Unit. “The analysis of
such events is an excellent prevention tool,”
said Marek Rolinec, Safety and Environment Manager.
Mochovce also cooperates with the Labour
The “best suppliers” with MO34 Project Director, Safety Manager at the rear
Inspectorate on a weekly basis. “The Labour
Inspectorate Nitra is exceptional because
it carries out supervision of nuclear facilities across Slovakia. The MO34 construction is an exemplary workplace. Mr. Aquilanti allows for several advanced activities.
Thanks to this added value, your workplace
is an example for all of the Slovak Republic,”
said Róbert Bulla, Chief Labour Inspector.
According to him, the labour inspection
found 381 defects at nuclear facilities, whilst the team of Marek Rolinec found 4,000.
This is evidence that the safety specialists
apply the strictest criteria set by law. “The
building industry is considered the riskiest.
You ensure zero accidents at MO34 in the
long term. I believe that together we reduce
the risk of the occurrence of serious violations,” added Bulla. The MO34 project has
achieved three times better safety results
than the Slovak average. Last year, the injury rate index in Slovakia was 1.9, while the
construction of Units 3 and 4 achieved 0.6.
The injury rate index means the number of
injuries per one million man-hours, which
corresponds to the work of 500 workers
over one year.
During the health and safety week, Project
Director Aquilanti awarded the best
suppliers. Škoda JS was awarded for the
nuclear island, Chemcomex Prague won
for the conventional island. Within the One
Safety project, bronze stars for the successful fulfilment of the observer task were
awarded to Monika Gduľová, Ladislav
Borkovič, Miroslav Mikula, Petar Spiridonov, Nina Govedarska, and Eduard
Gregor.
At the end of the health and safety week, the
Safety Coordinators in cooperation with all
the suppliers’ safety technicians evaluated
2014 and agreed tasks for 2015. They will
stress the improvement of communication
between suppliers at work in shared workplaces.
Matúš Demko
Fire-extinguishing demonstration
E — december 2014