Phare Assistance for Upgrading the Nuclear Field in Romania

Overall objective for the last Phare programme in nuclear field, in Romania, is to contribute to improving nuclear safety in the beneficiary candidate countries. The specific objectives to be covered are: enhance the level of expertise of the national regulatory bodies in the nuclear area; improve radioactive waste management and decommissioning activities according to EU best practices; support actions that would contribute to transpose the acquits in the field of radiation protection. The national regulatory body benefit from Phare assistance in order to evaluate the Periodic Safety Review for Cernavoda NPP Unit 1 and to improve the CNCAN capabilities to manage the aspects on radiation protection for ensuring the protection of the health of workers and the general public against the dangers arising from ionising radiation. Important Phare support is related to radioactive waste management and decommissioning activities: In 2002 starts the decommissioning of research reactor of National Institute of R and D for Physics and Nuclear Engineering 'Horia Hulubei' IFIN-HH. In this context, Phare funds are used to provide IFIN - HH technical support both in the field of enhancement of expertise and delivery of equipment of the decommissioning process based on the best EU and IAEA practices and recommendations; The Radioactive Waste Treatment Plant (STDR) that is located at the IFIN-HH nuclear research centre are in most cases obsolete. Their refurbishment and modernisation constitute a prerequisite to perform the decommissioning and dismantling of the VVR-S research reactor; Operation of Baita Bihor, the Romanian repository for institutional radioactive waste started in 1985 despite the fact that it was not fully equipped. Since then, its limited equipment are degraded and therefore need urgent refurbishment and/or modernisation. This requirement has become more and more important notably following the decision to proceed with the decommissioning/dismantling of the VVR-S nuclear research reactor that will generate rather large amounts of radioactive waste that will eventually be disposed of at Baita Bihor.(author)