The SNRIU is interested in studying the experience of the US regulatory authority in safety assessment, implementation of the latest technologies, equipment and facilities, and analysis of operational events at NPPs. This was emphasized by Head of SNRIU - Chief State Inspector for Nuclear and Radiation Safety of Ukraine Oleh Korikov during a meeting with Christopher T. Hanson, Chair of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (US NRC), which took place on 18 September 2024 in Vienna (Austria) on the sidelines of the 68th IAEA General Conference.
Oleh Korikov noted that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission remains one of the main SNRIU partners, whose support we feel constantly, especially in the context of unprecedented risks associated with the ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the russian federation.
During the meeting, the heads of the Ukrainian and US regulators discussed plans and strategies for implementing priority areas of cooperation set out in the Memorandum of Cooperation in Nuclear and Radiation Safety between the regulatory authorities of Ukraine and the United States. In particular, they discussed the following areas: analysis of the use of advanced nuclear fuel in pressurised water reactors; improvement of requirements for NPP safety assessment taking into account external events caused by human activity and safety assessment when selecting sites for new nuclear facilities, in particular for the placement of small modular reactors; detailed analysis of operational events at Ukrainian NPPs, including military impacts; support for assessment in the implementation of priority projects for dismantling unstable structures.
“The Energy Strategy of Ukraine defines the development of the nuclear industry as one of the development priorities for the near future, so the SNRIU appreciates the opportunity to study regulatory practices and expertise of the US NRC. The cooperation will result in improvement of the relevant requirements of the Ukrainian legislation and implementation of the ‘best practice’ of safety assessments”, SNRIU Chairman noted.
Oleh Korikov expressed his sincere gratitude to his American colleague for the continuous support in strengthening the infrastructure and technical capacity of the Ukrainian nuclear and radiation safety regulatory authority.
The parties also discussed the security situation at Zaporizhzhya NPP, which remains occupied by russian troops and is used as a military base for constant shelling of Ukrainian settlements in Zaporizhzhya region. At the same time, with regard to the implementation of the principles and requirements for nuclear and radiation safety and security of nuclear facilities at Zaporizhzhya NPP, it was stated that significant violations and degradation of the safety state have become a systemic problem. And this state of affairs at the largest NPP in Europe is, without exaggeration, a threat to the safety of the whole world.