Turkish students visited Kalinin NPP

The young people passed almost the whole working day on territory of the nuclear power plant with Tatiana Smirnova, specialist of the Public Information Center, who has been arranging tours at the nuclear plant for more than 20 years and aware about all plant details. She told that Unit 1 was commissioned on May 09, 1984, and this year the plant will celebrate its thirty year jubilee. The plant plays a significant role in economic development of the region. The NPP generates 70% of the total Tver Oblast electric power, the population of which is around 1,325,000 people. Kalinin NPP has generated 350 TWh during its operation. The students visited the reactor, turbine building of Unit 3, unit pump stations, turbines, unit reactor command post. Tatiana Smirnova told about the main principles of the NPP operation, technical characteristics and features of WWER type reactors.

A student Mehmet Aktan shared his impressions of the visit to the operating nuclear power plant: «The size of the plant is very impressive. We are now sure that an NPP is absolutely safe. Similar Akkuyu NPP will be built in Mersin province. I hope that in the near future the students of Turkish Universities will be able to pay visits to the NPPs on the territory of the Republic of Turkey».

After visiting the primary facilities of the plant the group of students went to the Public Information Center (PIC) of Kalinin NPP, where they familiarized with the show dedicated to the nuclear industry. And there they were explained that the fishing championships of Russia have been arranged nearby nuclear power plants over a period of several years. In 2009 the contest was arranged at the cooling pond of Novovoronezh NPP, in 2011 – at Rostov NPP, in 2012 – at Smolensk NPP. And Kalinin NPP hosted the All-Russia fishing championship at its cooling pond.

One of the students asked about the NPP impact level on the environment. In reply to the question Tatiana Smirnova said that in the town of Ufomlya, at the plant and in the NPP vicinity there were sensors of the Automated Radiation Situation Monitoring System (ARSMS). One can find their indications in the Internet in on-line mode. The plant operated in accordance with all standards and requirements of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and independent ecological organizations monitor the environment around the NPP.

After the Fukushima NPP accident stress-tests have been conducted at Kalinin NPP, which have proved absolute safety of the power units. But modern equipment has been purchased and installed at the plant for any contingencies. «Such equipment has been tested at Unit 4 of Kalinin NPP, purchased and installed at all Russian nuclear power plants», - the guide emphasized. She also stated that last summer the IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano visited Kalinin NPP and highly appreciated its safety level.

The Turkish students of NRNU MEPhI were interested in prototype show displays of the Public Information Center. They asked their guide a lot of questions and put down answers received. At the conclusion of the tour the students thanked Tatiana Smirnova for an exciting story and answers to theirs queries. And the guide said that the students had a unique opportunity to develop the nuclear industry in their home country, and when they successfully graduate from the University and got a profession, they will be among the first, who will create and witness the nuclear industry in operation in the Republic of Turkey.