The Completion Date of B1 project Construction Works has been Pushed Back Because of the Contractors Default

Апреля 15, 2011

The works on the constructional part of B1 project (Interim Spent Fuel Storage Facility – ISFSF), that should have been completed by 28 March, 2011, because of the contractors‘ failure to perform its obligations, are being postponed again (the constructional part of B1 project that should have been completed by the end of 2010, was rescheduled for March 2011).

Consortium NUKEM-GNS leading partner Nukem Technologies, B1 project Contractor published on its website that all structural construction works of B1 project have been 100% accomplished as for the end of March. The report also states that the storage facility will be ready to receive the first spent nuclear fuel cask in May 2011.
However, according to the INPP data on 6 April 2011, these B1 project works have not been carried out yet:
1. Installation works of Rainwater treatment plant, Waste water pump station, Storage area for concrete plates has not been carried out. The road and parking sites works have not been commenced near the Gate House.
2. Hot fuel inspection camera (building 02 of ISFSF) - uncovered construction slot (at marks from +19.00 to +20.00).
3. Infrastructure works of ISFSF have just been commenced (fencing around B1 construction site, installation of railway, water-supply, preparation of trenches for cable laying).
4. The complete package of B1 Detailed Design has not been presented to the INPP yet:
    * The final list of Detailed Design comprising documents is absent;
    * The Detailed Design for radiation monitoring and monitoring of groundwater at B1 and B234 sites is absent;
    * The Detailed Design for cable laying is absent;
    * Also, the Detailed Design part - Technological part - is absent.
With these works having not been accomplished the construction part of the B1 project can not be considered as completed. So the Contractor‘s statements about the May, 2011 term are delusive.
As of March 2011, the 98% of the necessary equipment (including 91 containers) are manufactured, 22% of utilities and 85% of construction works are completed.
Though, the B1 project contract annex, signed in May 2009, foresees that the commissioning of ISFSF is in March 2011, the work implementation schedule, submitted by the Contractor in November, 2010, provides another date – January 2012. The end of the defueling of the Unit 1 to the new ISFSF is planned for 2015, while the end of the defueling of the Unit 2 – for the beginning of 2016. Late term of the defueling of the Unit 2 is related to the requirement to store the nuclear fuel assemblies in a special storage pools for five years.
Because of 32 months delay of B1 project INPP suffers huge losses, which mainly arise because the fuel is still stored in the reactor of the Unit 2 and pools of the both units.
The schedule of final defueling of reactor No. 2 and storage pools depends on ISFSF commissioning term. The fuel is still being stored in the reactor No. 2, therefore the reactor safety level can not be decreased, and that means, that it is impossible to decrease the number of safety systems and their operational expenses. The defueling of the reactor will decrease significantly the number of safety systems, i.e. decrease their operational expenses, which remain high while the fuel is stored in the pools.
The additional containers were bought in order to defuel the Unit 1 in time. It is planned that the ISFSF operational expenses will reach Euro 120 000 per month.
Due to the emerged situation, the INPP management will take all the necessary measures to change the situation, the INPP as an Employer will consistently continue to defend its interests in commercial issues with NUKEM Technologies.