BRATISLAVA, June 27, (WEBNOVINY) — The Slovak Republic will learn about the state of security of its nuclear power plants at the end of October of this year. The Nuclear Regulatory Authority (UJD) plans to submit a final report that it will drawn up on the basis of stress tests by then. The stress tests are to evaluate security reserves of nuclear power plants already in operation and those under construction. “The regulatory authority will submit a preliminary report on the progress accomplished in implementation of the tests,“ specified the authority.
The Nuclear Regulatory Authority will focus on resistance of the Slovak nuclear power plants to earthquakes, floods and other events caused by extreme natural phenomena within the stress tests. Potential impossibility of evacuation of residual power from power plants or power feeding after a natural disaster will be of particular interest to the authority. “Terrorist attacks and a plane crash will not be analyzed since establishment of a special work group at the level of the European Union, which will deal with this aspect comprehensively, is being considered,” added the authority.
A Convention on Nuclear Safety review meeting, which evaluates national reports by participating countries, concluded that nuclear power plants in Slovakia are among the world’s elite in terms of safety. “The conclusions of the review meeting have confirmed accordance of Slovakia’s legislation and other activities in the field of nuclear safety with the articles of the Convention. No negative statement was made in the conclusions. Compared to other countries operating nuclear power stations, Slovakia is at the forefront in terms of safety and operational indicators,” the Nuclear Regulatory Authority (UJD) announced after the International Atomic Energy Agency session in Vienna in April.
Operation of Slovak power plants last year was secure and reliable, according to the UJD report to parliament. “Based on outcomes of audits and assessments, we can conclude that operation of nuclear power plants in Slovakia was secure and reliable last year, without any serious events that would lead to issuance of order for reduction of power output or decommissioning of a reactor or halting operation of a nuclear power plant,” stated the Nuclear Regulatory Authority in its report on the state of nuclear security. Altogether four nuclear power units in the V2 Jaslovske Bohunice nuclear power plant and Mochovce nuclear power plant are currently operated in Slovakia. The third and fourth units of the Mochovce NPP are yet to be completed.
European nuclear regulatory authorities have agreed on the final version of stress tests on nuclear reactors in the EU with the aim to prevent the critical situation experienced by Japan after the March earthquake and tsunami. EU countries agreed at the end of May that all nuclear power plants on the territory of the European Community will undergo stress tests.
SITA
