MIKHAIL CHUDAKOV: «WE ARE THANKFUL TO UMP FOR SUPPORT AND COOPERATION»

From 19 through 26 June, the first stage of recertification of 24 cylinders with Uranium Hexafluoride (UF6) was completed at the IAEA LEU Bank (LEU Bank) located at UMP. In the world practice, this procedure was conducted for the first time on the filled cylinders.

The certification was organized by the IAEA, and the work itself was performed by Austrian company LRQA and Bulgarian Bultest. At the same time, the equipment for rotating and supporting the cylinders, which is required as part of recertification procedures, was manufactured by MASHZAVOD LLP.

Mr. Mikhail Chudakov, Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Nuclear Energy:

– In accordance with UF6 storage standards, recertification should be performed every 5 years. 6 specialists worked during a week. All necessary activities were performed qualitatively. For the first time, recertification was carried out on filled cylinders. According to previous standards, cylinders had to be removed, emptied, hydrotested, then filled and returned to the LEU Bank. That is a complex, time-consuming and expensive procedure.

In 2020, due to improvements in equipment and testing methodology, refined standards were introduced that allow ultrasonic defectoscopy to be performed on-site. For the first time in the world, the quality of welds with cylinder turning was checked at the LEU Bank site. For this purpose, MASHZAVOD LLP manufactured special equipment and created a specific methodology for checking valves. All this was performed on 24 cylinders.