George Kuzmycz Training Center for Physical Protection, Control and Accounting of Nuclear Material

(http://www.mpca.kiev.ua)

Training Center for Physical Protection, Control and Accounting of Nuclear Material named after George Kuzmycz (GKTC) was established in accordance with the “Agreement between Ukraine and USA on the Assistance to Ukraine for Destruction of Strategic Nuclear Weapons and Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapon of Mass Destruction” dated October 25, 1993. Decision on the establishing of Training Center was taken in March 17, 1997, and its opening took place on October 8, 1998. All the activity on establishing of Training Center was completely financed by the Department of Energy of USA and implemented by Ukrainian specialists and those of Sandia and Argonne National Laboratories of USA.

GKTC has dual subordination – to National Academy of Sciences and to the State Nuclear Regulatory Committee of Ukraine.

Currently the Center cooperates both with several national laboratories of USA and with the IAEA in the field of upgrading of physical protection, accounting and control of nuclear material in Ukraine. Specialists of nuclear complex of Ukraine, State Nuclear Regulatory Committee, and Ministry of Internal Affairs, Security Service of Ukraine, NPPs and scientific institutions that have nuclear materials pass advanced training in the Training Center.

GKTC arranges and implements training in the following directions:

-         Basic course on development of physical protection systems;

-         Vulnerability assessment of physical protection systems and physical protection during nuclear material transport;

-         Accounting and control of nuclear material;

-         Computer aided program AIMAS for accounting and control of nuclear material;

-         Workshops on computerized accounting and control of nuclear material;

-         Non-destructive methods of nuclear material analysis;

-         Statistics and control of measurements.

During Training Center activity dozens of training courses were developed with the assistance of American specialists, including the following:

· Fundamentals of physical protection at NPP.

-         Basic course on development of physical protection systems.

-         Vulnerability assessment of physical protection systems.

-         Vulnerability assessment of physical protection during nuclear material transport.

-         Development of design basis threat.

-         Introduction to accounting and control of nuclear material (measurements program).

-         Non-destructive methods for accounting and control of nuclear materials.

-         Advanced training on accounting and control of nuclear materials.

-         AIMAS (computer aided system) of accounting and control of nuclear materials.

 We plan to develop a number of new training courses in the nearest future, including the following:

· Licensing of activity on accounting and control of nuclear material. 

· Non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. Struggle against illegal trafficking of nuclear material. Problems and ways of solution.

 · System of accounting and control of nuclear material at the state level and recent experience of the regulatory authority of the USA on implementation of safeguards.

 · Inspection procedures on assessment of operation of nuclear material accounting and control systems at the facilities.

 · Accounting, control and measurement of nuclear material in respect to safeguards and non-proliferation of nuclear weapon.

 · Basic methods of passive non-destructive control of nuclear material.

 · Fundamentals of γ - spectroscopic control of nuclear material

 · Neutron control of nuclear material

 · Modern methods of nuclear material measurement analysis.

 · Measurements of fresh and spent nuclear fuel at NPP.

In 2004 Training Laboratory for Non-Destructive Analysis of Nuclear Material was commissioned to operation at the Institute research reactor with the assistance of US Los-Alamos National Laboratory. This allows arranging practical training both on computerized accounting and control of nuclear material and on nuclear material measurements with non-destructive methods.

In addition to that there are plans to establish special Training Class with simulator at the Training Center, and at the territory of KINR to arrange a training field for practical training on physical protection.