There should be no mistakes - How the operation of the Belarusian NPP is monitored today

How does the peaceful atom serve people today? This week, Gosatomnadzor (this is the structure that is responsible, among other things, for the safety of the Belarusian NPP) named three possible sites for a radioactive waste disposal site. Two years ago, the Government approved a strategy for handling them. The document provides for the construction of a centralized disposal site. Work is currently underway to select a site.

One of them is not far from the operating NPP. The IAEA recommends placing such facilities near the main producer of radioactive waste. The second site is in the Mogilev Region. If a second nuclear power plant is built there, this site will also be a priority. And the last option is in the Polesie Radiation and Ecological Reserve. This is the territory that suffered the most from the Chernobyl accident and is not used in any way due to its contamination.

A government commission has been created to select disposal sites. It includes experts from various government agencies. And a special interdepartmental working group under the Ministry of Energy monitors the coordination of the plan's implementation.

As for the operating nuclear power plant, over 5 years of operation it has demonstrated its efficiency and profitability. Meanwhile, Gosatomnadzor regularly conducts inspections, starting from the moment of its design. The main criterion is the safety of peaceful atoms.

A nuclear power plant is a high-tech facility, the operation of which requires constant monitoring and strict safety measures. Every nuclear power plant in the world is equipped with the most complex automated control systems, process control and diagnostics of the reactor installation. This allows for a prompt response to any changes in the operation of the equipment. Sensitive sensors record the slightest deviations from the norm, informing the operator about it, who makes a decision. Operating a reactor is a delicate and responsible job.

At an exact copy of the control panel of the Belarusian NPP reactor, stress tests are carried out, and personnel are trained for all sorts of emergency situations. There are no random people here, the classification and professionalism of the personnel is regularly checked by Gosatomnadzor. Those who are at the control panel have a license to work. In case of violations, the specialist's permit is revoked, which means he loses his position. There should be no errors in reactor control.

A stress test of a nuclear power plant is a procedure for assessing the stability of a power unit to various adverse external influences and internal accidents. The process is designed to identify weaknesses in safety and design systems in order to minimize risks in the event of real disasters.

Earthquake, terrorist attack, failure of main cooling systems, loss of power supply, pump failures, leakage of radioactive substances and other possible violations of the technological process. There is an algorithm of actions for each incident. This is a global practice for training specialists. The exam is attended not only by a commission, but also by psychologists to determine the stress resistance of the personnel.

Eduard Potapchik, Head of Department, Department for Nuclear and Radiation Safety, Ministry of Emergency Situations of Belarus:

"Most of the employees of the nuclear power plant undergo an assessment of their knowledge on nuclear and radiation safety issues. We also supervise the implementation of these activities. In addition, we supervise the work of the technical inspection commission, registration and other activities. The primary task is to prevent violations."

NPP safety systems play a key role in ensuring reliability and protection from emergency situations. They include a complex set of technical solutions and technologies that ensure constant control over the main operating parameters of the reactor and immediate response to possible deviations. First of all, this is control of technological processes. The system continuously monitors the coolant temperature, pressure, radiation level, neutron flux rate and other critically important parameters. Any deviation is automatically recorded by the system, warning signals or protective mechanisms are triggered. Supervision of the operation of safety systems also falls on the shoulders of Gosatomnadzor.

But no matter what kind of automatic fire-fighting system is triggered - a training or a real one, rescuers react instantly. During the exercises, the services practice the most difficult situations - a reactor explosion, a terrorist attack, a major fire.

Konstantin Lazovsky, head of the fire emergency rescue team at nuclear power plant facilities:

"Training takes place in two forms - theoretical and practical. First, we study, remember the features of the facility's layout, where the water sources are located. Then we go to the facility and practice various simulated emergency situations. Twice a year, we pass the qualification, confirming our theoretical and practical knowledge."

Automaticair and water filtration systems prevent the spread of radioactive substances outside of premises, controlled access zones, even in emergency situations. Rescuers are always ready to supplement the work of the automatic systems.

Roman Rubin, deputy head of the fire emergency rescue team at NPP facilities:

"A chemical and radiation protection service has been created on the basis of our fire brigade. Our main functions and tasks are to carry out emergency rescue operations in areas of chemical and radioactive contamination. For this, we have equipment - various types of spectrometers, dosimeters, radiometers, we have everything we can use to measure the radiation background. We also deal with the elimination and localization of the consequences of chemical accidents."

In the event of a violation of the limits and conditions of safe operation, the automatic system will shut down the reactor and start the safety systems, including the cooling systems of the plant. To increase reliability, all safety elements are duplicated, and each channel operates independently of each other, providing the ability to quickly switch to a backup in the event of a failure. The task of Gosatomnadzor is to ensure that all safety tools are in good working order. "Safety criteria and approaches to organizing supervision are primarily based on the supplier of nuclear technologies, the experience of the Russian Federation, and, accordingly, international experience in nuclear energy," noted Eduard Potapchik, Head of the Department of Nuclear and Radiation Safety of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Belarus.