Assesment of Construction Sites against IAEA Safety Requirements

In order to prepare for the construction of new Visaginas Nuclear Power Plant (VNPP), it is necessary to carry out various preparatory tasks. The basic technical characteristics of the VNPP (the specific location of the construction site, type and number of the reactors, etc.) have yet to be defined; however, in the course of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) the competing alternatives have already been short-listed, including two potential construction sites. During the EIA, the potential impact of VNPP on the environment has been assessed. However, how and to what extent the environment of the construction site (geological and seismic conditions of the site, climatic peculiarities, human activity, etc.) could influence the VNPP’s design solutions and safety is beyond the scope of the EIA. Consequently, the project The Assessment of the Potential Construction Sites of the New Visaginas Nuclear Power Plant has been initiated.The objective of this project is to assess the acceptability of the eligible sites for the construction of VNPP against IAEA safety requirements NS-R-3 Site Evaluation for Nuclear Installations.

In making this assessment, descriptions of construction sites will be prepared, and the value of the parameters which are important for the design tasks will be defined (properties of soil, seismicity, critical ambient temperatures, etc.). This information is necessary for both the bidders and the prospective designer, in order to work out proper solutions with regard to existing environmental conditions as well as the established requirements to design a nuclear power plant that conforms to the conditions of the chosen site. Moreover, this material is necessary in order to perform a safety analysis of external factors.

Possible external factors that have to be analysed (due to their potential impacts on the VNPP safety and design solutions) during the evaluation of acceptable and eligible construction sites are as follows:  

• seismic factors;
• geotechnical conditions;
• meteorological conditions;
• possibility of flooding in the area;
• external developments caused by human activity.

The assessment of these factors is basically carried out in line with the relevant IAEA safety manuals containing instructions on applicable evaluation methodologies, the reliability of output data, and the scope of the issues to be analysed and other relevant information.

The interface of the project and its constituent parts with other projects is illustrated in the Figure below.