Overview
Russian Methodological and Training Center on Nuclear Materials Control and Accounting (RMTC) is the first entity in Russia established for propagation of advanced technologies for nuclear material accounting and control (NMC&A), theoretical and practical training for nuclear facility personnel and GAN inspectors in MC&A subjects. The decision for creating a methodological and Training Center for NMC&A in Russia was taken in 1994, first by the RF Minatom, then at the federal authority level.
Russian Methodological and Training Center on Nuclear Materials Control and Accounting (RMTC) is the first entity in Russia established for propagation of advanced technologies for nuclear material accounting and control (NMC&A), theoretical and practical training for nuclear facility personnel and GAN inspectors in MC&A subjects. The decision for creating a methodological and Training Center for NMC&A in Russia was taken in 1994, first by the RF Minatom, then at the federal authority level.
The RMTC was established at the State Scientific Center of the Russian Federation — Institute for Physics and Power Engineering named after Academician A.I.Leipunsky (SSC RF-IPPE) in Obninsk, Kaluga region by the Minatom and Gosatomnadzor joint decision approved by the Russian Federation Government.
US and European Commission (EC) supported the idea of creating the Center and included appropriate projects into their plans of cooperation with Russia stipulating training (qualification upgrading) of instructors for the Center and equipping RMTC labs with state-of-the-art instruments, installations, systems and classroom visual aids, and training future instructors at the US, European, and Russian facilities. The importance of that collaborative effort was emphasized at the Moscow Nuclear Safety Summit on April 19—20, 1996.
On November 4, 1998 the RMTC Grand Opening took place in the presence of the Russian Federation Minister for Atomic Energy Mr. E. Adamov, Member of the European Parliament Mr. G. Adam, the US DOE representative Mr. K. Sheely, Director General of the EC JRC, Mr. H. Allgeier, Governor of Kaluga Region Mr. V. Sudarenkov, and Mr. M. Shubin, Mayor of the city of Obninsk, representatives of the US National Labs, European Research Centers, facility operators and EC inspectors, officials from EU Member States, Russian and foreign mass media. The short-term prospect of RMTC is in the intensive development of the Lab for Non-destructive assay techniques, Tank Calibration Lab; in creating the Lab. For Containment and Surveillance, and in upgrading existing courses and developing new ones.
The NDA lab, according to the plans, will be equipped with devices for assays of fresh fuel assembly from BN, VVER and RBMK power reactors and also with tools for X-ray-fluorescent analysis of NM samples. Federal reference materials (RM) uranium and plutonium dioxides of various enrichment levels were fabricated with weights ranging from 5g to 2.5kg. Instruments for spent fuel assembly assay will be procured in the future.
The following equipment has been shipped for the NDA Lab: gamma spectrometers, neutron coincidence counters, and devices for detecting and assessment of Pu in wastes. Gamma spectrometers made in Russia (COUPOL) were purchased and equipment simulators and special uranium working RMs for uranium hold-up measurement course have been fabricated. Establishment of the Tank Calibration Lab is to be completed. Courses will be conducted on tank calibration and on solution density/level control in tanks.
The Containment and Surveillance lab will be equipped with systems of computerized video monitoring. The Lab is already equipped with systems of monitoring of e-cap seals and other tamper indicating devices.
Instructors and students workplaces at the IPPE conference center will have a local computer network with Internet access and advanced communication devices available. Intensive use of computer based training (CBT) technologies is planned: design and maintenance of databases on training materials, courses for trainees and instructors development of CD-ROM courses, computer examiners three-dimensional video images to be used for NM accounting and control technologies.