RRFM 2009 Transactions - European Nuclear Society

STATUS OF THE VIND PROGRAM,
NOVEMBER 2008
M. PEŠIĆ
Centre for Nuclear Technologies and Research, Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences
P. O. Box 522, 11001 Belgrade – Republic of Serbia
ABSTRACT
Ministry of Science and Technological Development of the Government of the
Republic of Serbia initiated the Vinča Institute Nuclear Decommissioning (VIND)
Program in 2004. The Program covers four integrated projects: Spent nuclear fuel
preparation for shipment to the country of origin; Low level and medium level
radioactive waste management at site; Decommissioning of the RA research
reactor and Radiation Protection. The IAEA Technical Cooperation Department
and European Commission (through IPA Program) support the VIND Program.
This paper summarises the progress achieved in the last four years, presents the
current status and underline future activities to be carried out at the Vinča Institute.
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1. Introduction
Nuclear and radiation safety situation in the Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences (Vinča
Institute), elaborated at the end of the XX century, was found as inappropriate. Main
problems were arisen as results of various nuclear programs carried out from 1958 to 1990
in former Yugoslavia and strong economic crisis in the country during the last decade of XX
century. International and Vinča’s experts have concluded that radiation safety conditions
have to be improved ASAP. The major Vinča site’s problems, pointed out, were:
• Condition of considerable amount of LEU and HEU spent nuclear fuel (SNF)
accumulated during 25 years of operation of 6.5 МW heavy water RA research reactor
(RR). After storage period from 20 to 40 years in water, aluminium cladding some of the
SNF elements is degraded and fission products leak to the pool water;
• RA RR was in an extended shut down since 1984, because it’s modernization was never
completed due to technical, political and economic reasons;
• Different low level (LL) and medium level (ML) radioactive waste (RAW) was collected
from whole ex-Yugoslavia and stored in two storage hangers (H1 & H2) at the Vinča site
since 1960. Records on RAW description are inadequate or are missing; the RAW is not
stored and conditioned according to modern radiation safety standards, and
• Significant amount of fresh HEU fuel elements were stored at premises of the RA RR.
To solve the problems mentioned above, four new projects, known as the Green Vinča
Program (GVP) were initiated in the Vinča Institute in August 2001. A proposal for support to
these projects (SNF shipment, RAW management, RA RR decommissioning and RB reactor
refurbishment) was announced at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) 2001
General Conference. These projects were welcome by the IAEA and included in IAEA TCP
support program from 2003. The Program is also supported, besides the Government’s
funding, by donations from several foreign organizations and governments. Equipment and
experts’ technical assistance are provided by IAEA.
Proposal for solutions of the radiation and nuclear safety problems, mentioned above, was
submitted by the Vinča Institute to the Government of the Republic of Serbia (GoRS) and to
the Government of the Federal Republics of Yugoslavia (FRY), for consideration and
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