Project for qualification of the Kozloduy confinement system

One of the projects awarded to Empresarios Agrupados within the Six-Month WANO Programme for Kozloduy NPP, financed through the European Community's PHARE Programme, relates to the first tasks of plant confinement system qualification. Development of this project - the results of which will serve as a reference for other power plants with VVER-440/230 models - aroused considerable interest in the Bulgarian nuclear community as well as in international entities which render assistance to Eastern power plants. In fact, this is one of the few projects in the programme which takes into account hardware-oriented activities to be carried out urgently in the plant. The VVER-440/230 confinement system performs functions parallel to the containment system of Western PWR reactors. However, it differs significantly in its criteria and operation details. These important differences form the basis for a rational and prudent application of the essence of Western codes and standards relating to the qualification of these systems. The criteria which are developed to make this application viable constitute the most challenging and, at the same time, most risky part of this job. The project will be in its final stages when the 18th Annual Meeting of the Spanish Nuclear Society is held; it is therefore likely that this paper will advance the results and conclusions expected. (author)