Wano Experts Inspect Smolensk Npp

The Moscow centre of the World Association of Nuclear Power Operators (WANO) has completed a three-week inspection of the Smolensk Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) located in Western Russia. Alexander Lokshin, the director of the Smolensk NPP, reported on Thursday that an international expert team had been conducting a partners' inspection of 9 aspects of the station's operation, namely organisation and production management, maintenance experience, repairs, fire security, organisation of emergency planning, chemical control, radiation security, training and qualification and engineering support. According to Lokshin, experts have formalised the results of their work in a number of proposals for the station's personnel. The proposals have been submitted to the station's management as a special list of recommendations. The inspection has been held with the participation of Jussi Helske, a WANO senior executive and a Vice-President of the Fortum company (Finland,) Farit Tukhvetov, the director of the Moscow WANO centre, Viktor Stovbun, the executive director of the NAEK company (Ukraine), as well as Sergei Dolganov and Anatoly Kirichenko, departmental representatives of the Rosenergoatom concern. During a press-conference, the experts noted that the professional skills of the Smolensk NPP personnel could not be doubted.