Preliminary Safety Analysis Report of the Hanhikivi NPP

Context and challenges

This client, a major player in the nuclear industry, develops and builds VVER nuclear power plants. The Hanhikivi project aims at building a 1200 MW production unit on the Pyhajöki site located on the Gulf of Bothnia in northern Finland for the end client Fennovoima.

The Finnish regulatory process requires the Finnish safety authority (STUK) to grant a construction licence prior to construction. The licencing application must include, among other elements, a Preliminary Safety Analysis Report (PSAR) to demonstrate the safety of the installation to be built.

In this context, this client has asked Assystem to participate in the international multicultural group, known as the PSAR Localisation Group, which draws up this report and whose objective is to produce a document that is best able to meet the quality requirements necessary to obtain a favourable decision from the Finnish safety authority.

Project scope

Writing of chapters of the Preliminary Safety Analysis Report, based on the design documents produced by the Russian Institutes, on topics related to:
- Safety systems (main steam supply system, volumetric and chemical control system, primary pumps seal injection system, containment spray system, ultimate cooling system of the core catcher, etc.)
- Nuclear island buildings
- Materials used in safety systems (metallic and non-metallic materials)
- Training of the final customer's staff
Participation in the internal validation of documents produced by the PSAR localisation group

Results

Better decision-making in terms of safety thanks to comparisons with installations different from the VVER, in various regulatory contexts, based on international experience in nuclear safety.
Communication with Russian Institutes facilitated by Assystem's Russian-speaking team
Linguistically and technically correct interpretation of EUR (European Utility Requirements) documents through support to Russian client designers (e.g. design requirements and recommendations)