WENRA experience for better nuclear industry regulation in Belarus

The Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department of the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry (Gosatomnadzor) will use the experience of the Western European Nuclear Regulators Association (WENRA) for improving regulating practices in Belarus, BelTA learned from Gosatomnadzor's Communications and Public Information Office.

Gosatomnadzor head Olga Lugovskaya has taken part in WENRA's plenary session in Madrid upon the organization's invitation. Control over the fulfillment of license requirements by nuclear energy installations was one of the spotlights.

The next WENRA session that will take place in spring 2016 is expected to focus on the concept for transferring knowledge about nuclear and radiation safety regulations. In turn, the Belarusian nuclear industry regulation authority will endeavor to highlight peculiarities of preserving and transferring knowledge in a country intent on carrying out its first nuclear energy program.

The press service said that by taking part in such international associations the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Department of the Belarusian Emergencies Ministry can improve regulating practices in Belarus. The agency can also improve its competence through reliance on experience of other countries and professional discussions.

The Belarusian nuclear industry regulation agency now uses the work done by WENRA's working group on harmonizing requirements for nuclear installations. WENRA's guidelines on stress-testing nuclear power plants have been taken into account as Gosatomnadzor developed requirements for stress-testing the Belarusian nuclear power plant. WENRA's document on reference safety levels of existing nuclear installations is being analyzed and compared with Belarusian regulating documents.

The Western European Nuclear Regulators Association (WENRA) was founded in 1999. At present it unites about 20 nuclear industry regulating agencies from European countries. WENRA includes three working groups. They deal with harmonizing requirements for nuclear installations, inspection activities and radioactive waste as well as the decommissioning of nuclear installations. Belarus was granted observer status in WENRA in March 2015 and was invited to take part in the operation of WENRA's working groups.