What further measures are planned by the Slovenian Government to ensure the availability of financial resources for Krsko nuclear power plant normal operation and necessary safety upgrading?

In order to assure a stable financial and safety status for NPP Krško, Slovenian Government issued a Decree on the transformation of NPP Krsko (31.7.1998), which determines that the sole owner of the power plant is Slovenian Government. Croatian utility and Slovenian Utility have a status of joint investors with an initial capital. This decree has a temporary status and can be overruled by a bilateral agreement between Slovenia and Croatia, which is being negotiated. This act was necessary to ensure sufficient financial means for the operation and maintenance of the NPP and maintain a high safety level. This includes the recent refurbishment (replacement of steam generators and purchase of a full scope simulator) and upgrading with respective safety analysis and safety upgrading.

What are the professional qualification requirements for personnel for the different safety-relevant tasks?

Professional qualification requirements are addressed in regulatory documents as well as in NPP documents. Example of regulatory documents is Regulation E3 . These regulatory requirements clearly define qualification requirements for the personnel responsible for various tasks of safety significance. For the operators and shift engineers simulator training and re-training is prescribed. In addition, NPP has different documents (Technical Specifications, FSAR, and administrative procedures) where responsibilities and qualification requirements are defined.

Qualification requirements for specific posts include requirements on: initial education, additional training, experience, and general requirements, such as knowledge of English. 

Is there available expertise within Krsko to assess the safety of their facilities independently from the suppliers? Are there other organisations supporting Krsko for this task?

Krsko assess the safety of facilities independently from the suppliers with deterministic analysis (RELAP), probabilistic analysis (RISK SPECTRUM,ORAM) and severe accidents analysis(MAAP). There are also external subcontractors involved.

Which efforts are made to settle the ownership problems of Krsko and to secure the long term financial resources of the license holder?

In 1998, Government of Slovenia and Croatia appointed two expert groups to prepare a bilateral agreement on the status of NPP Krško. After exhausting discussions, both parties came to a common understanding of most issues. There are some pending and open items that still need to be solved, mainly concerning financial status of both parties, resulting from the period 1983-1997. The question of spent fuel and radioactive wastes will require some additional negotiations in order to come up with the first draft of the bilateral agreement that would be acceptable for both parties. It is necessary to emphasise that the transition period, while both parties are negotiating, does not and will not jeopardise the safety of the NNP. It is reasonable to expect that by the end of this year the bilateral agreement between Slovenia and Croatia could be signed.

It is mentioned that licenses for control room operators are valid for 4 years. What is required for renewal of the license?

Each year licensed operators shall complete annual simulator retraining and on-site classroom retraining sessions. News simulator retraining is seven working days long. Each working day is comprised of three hours of classroom preparation and four hours of simulator exercises. Last day in the week is examination day. Written exam lasts for approximately two hours and simulator performance evaluations approximately four to five hours. Currently, the simulator retraining is contracted by the NPP Krsko. On-site annual retraining is typically conducted two times per year, one cycle in springtime and one cycle in autumn. Major subjects covered are: domestic events, industry events, plant modifications, procedure changes (normal, abnormal, emergency, system), technical specification changes, new core cycle specifics and systems review. The candidates for license renewal attend one and a half to two week refresher course aimed to refresh knowledge of engineering fundamentals prior to taking examination. On-site and refresher training is conducted by NPP Krsko training department. In order to apply for license renewal examination, NPP Krsko has to provide the following evidence to Slovenian Nuclear Safety Administration for each candidate:

• Completion of annual simulator retraining
• Completion of annual on-site retraining
• Physical and psychological fitness
• Safety at work examination
• Radiation protection examination

• and will represent higher confidence in safe operation of the plant.

Which training limitations have been experienced in the use of the foreign simulator?

Use of non-plant specific simulator is considered acceptable alternative (as it is the only alternative in current situation) until NPP Krsko will obtain full scope plant specific simulator. The following are major limitations of use of foreign simulators:

• Full scope simulator, identical (or very similar) to NPP Krsko main control room does not exist.
• Simulator exercises on non-specific simulator can be conducted only in limited scope in comparison to NPP Krsko operating procedures. This is especially true for normal operating procedures. NPP Krsko licensed personnel has no opportunity to train all operating procedures that are used in main control room.
• Skills obtained during practice on non-specific simulator can have potential negative effects on actions taken at NPP Krsko. 
• Possibilities to adjust non-specific simulator according to NPP Krsko needs are very limited.
• Possibility to support emergency drills with the use of simulator does not exist.
• As no-specific simulator is used for initial training also, on-site preparation of the candidates for licensed operators lasts longer as they have to adapt to the plant after initial simulator training.
• Numerous tasks that would be trained on plant specific simulator are now trained on-the-job, thus representing potential negative effect on plant availability.

Is the qualification level of operating personnel working outside the control room established by SNSA and does SNSA authorise/licence them?

If not, does SNSA by any means control qualification levels of operating staff working outside the control room?

SNSA does not license non-licensed personnel working outside the Main Control Room. Non-licensed operators are subject to periodic renewal of non-nuclear (conventional) licenses per Slovenian regulations (crane operators, boiler and pressure vessel operators, etc.). NPP annual personnel training plan is subject to review and approval by SNSA. News report on training is also subject to review and approval by SNSA. Many activities are subject to regular inspection by SNSA and some of those include verification of qualification for specific tasks. 

The role of maintenance personnel is important to the safe operation of NPPs. 

Please explain the content of maintenance personnel training and the requirement for individual qualification?

What kind of maintenance training facilities do the Slovenian NPP operator (licensee) have?

A maintenance personnel training is specific for each maintenance discipline and is devided into two parts. First part consists of the basic training in nuclear technology in domestic Training Centre and maintenance training at NSSS vendor and at the equipment suppliers. Second part is on-the-job training in the NPP Krsko. NPP Krsko does not have specific maintenance training facility. Mock-up is available for SG maintenance activities. Training is organised using available maintenance shops space or classrooms. Training for a maintenance personnel on larger equipment is typically organised at equipment vendor locations, for smaller equipment, training is organised at NPP location, using available shop space or classroom. I&C laboratory is also used for training as necessary. NPP Krsko is planning to organise dedicated maintenance training facilities inside existing auxiliary buildings.