Lessons Learned Regarding Physical Protection System at VVR-S Nuclear Research Reactor from IFIN-HH to Implement Preparatory Measure For Loading HEU and LEU Nuclear Spent Nuclear Fuel Assemblies, Loading Activities and Shipments by Road and Air from Romania to the Russian Federation

The nuclear research reactor VVR-S from IFIN-HH was in operation from July 1957 until December 1997. The principal technical characteristics were: 2 MW thermal power, thermal energy/dpay: 9.52 GW/day, nuclear fuels used-EK-10 LEU and S-36 HEU. The spent nuclear fuel assemblies were stored under water in the cooling pond from Reactor Hall until 1982 when all assemblies were transferred to the special intermediary deposit for spent nuclear fuels in ponds under water. The own transfer cask with one assembly capacity was used for transfer. From 2002 the nuclear research reactor VVR-S had been in permanent shutdown until 2010 when the decommissioning project started for implementing the immediate dismantling strategy. Under the Global Threats Reduction Initiative with financial and technical support from the United States of America, Department Of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Idaho National Laboratory, the International Atomic Energy Agency in cooperation with the Russian Federation authorities (ROSATOM, Federal Center for Nuclear and Radiological Safety, the Radiochemical Enterprise Mayak, Sosni Company) the highly enriched uranium spent nuclear fuel assemblies type S-36 were repatriated on June 2009 in one shipment.. In 2012 with funds from the Romanian State Budget repatriated in the Russian Federation all low enrichment uranium spent nuclear fuel assemblies type EK -10 with three shipments. Thus, from December 2012 there has been no spent nuclear fuel on IFIN-HH site and the dismantling of structures, systems, equipment and components from the nuclear installation started in 2013. During the operation and transition phase from operation to decommissioning, preparatory activities for repatriation of the physical protection systems were in place according to national regulations and international requirements. The paper highlighted the lessons learned regarding physical protection system at VVR-S nuclear research reactor from IFIN-HH in implementing the preparatory measures for loading HEU and LEU spent nuclear fuel assemblies, loading activities and shipments by road and air from Romania to the Russian Federation. (author)