OREANDA-NEWS. September 22, 2009. A technical support mission of the World Association of Nuclear Operators visited Smolensk Nuclear Power Plant Sept 15–18 2009. The visit was part of the preparations for the OSART mission to take place at the plant in 2011.

The mission comprised Deputy Director of the Moscow Center of WANO Sergey Vibornov, chief safety inspector of the International Atomic Energy Agency Gabor Vamos (Hungary), chief operation specialist-head of unit of Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant Viktor Livinsky (Ukraine), head of the Centralized Maintenance Department of Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant Igor Prokhorychev (Lithuania).

The experts met with managers and specialists of Smolensk NPP, discussed the preparations for the OSART mission, made a technical tour of the plant’s operating units, interviewed the personnel and inspected the documentation.

While addressing the management of Smolensk NPP during the final briefing Sergey Vybornov said: “We believe that the mission has been successful. We hope that the spirit of cooperation and the atmosphere of openness will be present during the OSART mission as well. Our experts would like to express their satisfaction with the results of the inspection and your interest. The analysis of the measures you have developed for preparing for the OSART mission has shown that you have done quite comprehensive work and have started to prepare for OSART beforehand.”

The findings of the experts will be included in the technical support mission memorandum of the WANO Moscow Center and will be submitted to the management of Smolensk NPP.