The Job (2)

A bit more about my job here.

Heavy water in CANDU reactors is irradiated as it does its job and tritiated water is produced - which is radioactive.  After a number of years the level of tritiated water in the coolant/moderator builds up and becomes a radiation uptake risk to workers.  This is particularly a problem when a major overhaul is planned.

Unit 1 has such a major overhaul coming up in around 2020/21 and so it was decided years ago to build a facility which would process the heavy water and remove the tritium component rendering the heavy water suitably unradioactive for another 20+ years. So, was born the Cernavoda Tritium Removal Facility (CTRF) which would do this.  The tritium can be recovered and used for military purposes should you so wish to do so.  It's easy to find on the internet what you use it for...

The CTRF project seems to have started in around 2006 but has been the subject of piss-poor planning and management by a number of stakeholders since then such that in 2013 we have not yet completed the conceptual design and now its urgent as it will take several years to complete the design, find a construction contractor, build it, and commission it all before the planned shutdown occurs.

Kinectrics has been involved as a technical design consultant/design house for some years based on their experience with tritium removal facilities in Canada and South Korea (where the technology works OK).  A Romanian company was the project manager...  In early 2013, CNE eventually figured out that there was a major problem here and asked Kinectrics to take the project management lead to get it designed and licensed.  So they sought an experienced PM who could handle such a long-running, complex project.  They couldn't find one but I decided to help them out.

We're about to get 'turned back on again' once we establish the safety and licensing requirements and agree them with the nuclear regulator, then the money will flow, the design will restart and I get to be a PM again.

I'll let you know how it goes...

Braşov

Last weekend, I took a trip to Braşov, a fairly large city towards the centre of Romania.  It was almost 400 kms from Cernavoda but mostly along motorway/good quality roads.  I chose the town because it seemed to get a good entry in my Lonely Planet guide and the famed Bran Castle was nearby.  Plus, I have a car so it's a shame not to use it. 

I got there about 2.45pm on Saturday having endured what seemed like ages queuing through some small towns through which all the tourist traffic was funneled.  I found the hotel - looked good on Trivago.com and offered B&B for £28.  Using the trusty GPS made it easy.  I parked the car and headed into town.  

I had looked forward to the Gothic architecture Braşov is famous for only to find that they were celebrating their Oktoberfest...seems this part of Romania has a high Germanic influence.  Not wanting to be unfriendly, I partook in beer and food and enjoyed the ambiance   This was ok but the tedious electro-pop from some numpties on the stage wore a bit.  

As a break I visited the Black Church (left), supposedly the largest church of that particular German style east of somewhere or other.  It was impressive.

I headed back to the hotel later on, somewhat worn down by the challenge of the music (remember, I quite like most types but this was different).  When back, lo and behold, the ongoing concert was on TV and featured a good rock band...never mind. 

Bran Castle

On Sunday I headed 30 kms to Bran where Bran Castle is. I went early to avoid the coachloads of Japanese tourists who flock to Romania's most popular tourist attraction.  It was very impressive and I was sure it was where Keith and I had visited on our trip in 1976.  It has a link to Vlad the Impaler who has a very tenuous link to the story of Dracula however that doesn't stop the castle being seen as 'Dracula's Castle' (a lot is made of this inside...). 

Cutlery, maybe

Back to Cernavoda the same route but beating the traffic by being a bit earlier.  I bought some goat's cheese wrapped in bark and some honey so felt just like a real tourist (i.e. ripped off, no doubt).

The Job (1)

A few words about what I'm doing here (or trying to do).

Firstly some background:

Romania has a single nuclear power station at Cernavoda.  Five units were planned however only two
were finished.  The three others are just shells and will require a lot to complete them (should a few billion Lei ever come available).



The reactor type is CANDU signifying that it uses heavy water as a coolant and moderator and natural uranium fuel.  Not surprisingly, the design is Canadian.  What is a bit surprising to the foreigner here is why a Canadian design was chosen over the more prelavent VVER design from Russia.  Most of the surrounding countries with nuclear power are firmly set in the Russian-designed technology.  When one starts to look into why this choice was made, it opens up the whole dialogue of how Ceausescu wasn't one for blindly following the Moscow lead but who was a bit of a renegade 'doing his own thing'.  The choice of CANDU reactors is a case in point - he didn't want to be too tightly controlled by Moscow on this technology, preferring to be independant.  As no uranium enrichment was required, this simplified fuel manufacture so it could all be done inside Romania (as it has been done so since the programme began).  He bucked the trend on a few other issues, notably refusing to sanction the Soviet Union's invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968.  Ceausescu tried to keep one foot (just) inside the western Europe domain.  However, as we know, it didn't do him much good in the end, but that's for another post perhaps.

Cooling water is supplied from a channel off the Danube-Black Sea canal.  All waste is currently stored onsite.  Unit 1 started in 1996, Unit 2 in 2007. Both are rated at 700 MW output.

Canada is still quite involved in the site, particularly on upgrades, outages, repairs etc.  They clearly also built most of the apartment campus where I live (a clue being a large maple leaf embossed into the side of one building...). 

Constanta

On Sunday I drove to Constanta (or, more accurately, Constan'ts'a but this blog doesn't allow a 't' with a tail).  It's about 60 kms, or 40 mins.  I used the Satnav which got me quite easily into the centre where I parked (I'd upgraded the maps on the TomTom to Eastern Europe and it's very accurate so far).

The resort is not too large but with nice beaches along the Black Sea.  The town however is a bit variable with nice buildings (some undergoing renovation) but others where construction has just stopped. Dead (see right).

The town has a big port and is the gateway to the Black Sea-Danube canal which allows access through Romania, Bulgaria etc. into central Europe.

Some evidence of past glory is evident with the famous casino on the quayside (below).

Casino

I had lunch, walked along the shore for a while and then hit the motorway back to Cernavoda.  I gather that others from where I stay go to Constanta for an evening - the choice of restaurants is (somewhat) higher...

Marina

Dogs...

I'd gathered that dogs were...erm, an issue in Romania but I had no idea of quite how many there were.  They are everywhere, singly or in roaming packs.

I gather from a colleague that they love chasing cyclists so you need to be well armed when cycling - with a repellent spray ideally.  You see them mostly in the towns or villages (not surprisingly) but occasionally miles away from houses, walking exhausted along the side of the road in the heat of the day.

Then there are the dead ones...I suppose it's survival of the fittest (or fastest).  Flat(ish) on the road or bloated with legs in the air on the side....

Drive on...they're past help.

On the positive side, I have seen 2-3 dog rescue centres which, I assume, try to alleviate the problem probably through sterilization but they have their work cut out for them.

Next time our dog is looking miserable 'cos she's gone off Chappie dog food with added chicken and vitamins, I'll point out a few facts to her.

Home #2

OK, a week and a bit into the new job so time to put finger to keyboard a bit more.

My apartment, bottom left

I have an apartment in the 'Campus', my part of which was built about 10-11 years ago.  It's quite new and shiny still, is quite secure (security patrols/gate checks etc.) and about 1 km from work.  It's provided free by the plant ('CNE') and it includes daily muck-out, sheets, towels, electricity...). I just pay for food and the internet which works out at £15/month.  My apartment is on the left side of this block, ground floor.  It has air-con which is OK but the test will be in winter.  I'm not yet sure of the make-up of the inmates in our part, that will become apparant soon.  There are a number of Canadians about (CNE plant is a Canadian design).  I've already met a few of them.

Kinectrics provide me with a rental car (also in photo).  First time around, it's a Passat which is fine except for a knocking from the front joints when turning sharply.  Hopefully I'll get the same car again next time I'm out here as I am in the process of getting a car pass for the car park.

The campus has a couple of pools which are free to use.  Most apartments are smaller and older.  I have a feeling the the expats get the nicer ones.  There's a restaurant on site but only open at breakfast and lunch for station workers.  Apparantly you need special permission to go in if you're not a CNE employee.

It's a 1/2 mile walk into the town centre so not that far. More about the exciting selection of shops later...

A start

I thought about keeping a diary when in Kozloduy but it never got off the ground.  I need to try harder this time - even if it's just me who reads it!

Anyway, I travel to Romania tomorrow, to start work on Monday.  It wasn't a good start to a weekend as Maria's mother unexpectedly died on Friday night so that's thrown us into some turmoil.  I'm still going as planned - we'll see what happens to the funeral date etc.

I'll be project manager for a consortium of Romanian and Canadian companies who are currently designing the Cernavoda Tritium Removal Facility to be built at Cernavoda in SE Romania (hence the blog title!).  It's in some disarray at present as it is without any management so I have plenty to dig into.

I visited Cernavoda in June for a short visit with Ken Jackson.  The town is quite like Kozloduy (size, amenities) so that was no issue.  The town is about 2 hr from Bucharest via a new motorway which should help travel (the road from Kozloduy to Sofia was really bad at times for (a) bad weather and (b) bad drivers).

Tonight's Anthems night at RAF Cranwell so maybe that'll lift us up out of our gloom a bit.

More soon - unless this blog goes the same way as the last!