Nuclear qualification is an investment in the future

It has obtained nuclear certification, enabling it to participate in the construction of the new nuclear power plant at Bayer Construct Zrt. Márton Koprás, investment director , said that the Bayer Group is a Hungarian-owned company with more than 22 years of history, which uniquely covers the entire spectrum of the construction industry in the Hungarian market. They work with their own designers and have their own mines and manufacturing plants. „The main profile is residential construction and property development, but today we still have the original concrete structure construction core, with a significant number of our own physical workforce. This is an important business area for the group, which is how we got involved in the Paks project, where we were contracted to pour the concrete foundation slab for several buildings on the nuclear island of Unit 5 using Russian TITAN-2 CONCERN JSC,” said Márton Koprás.

The audit required a lot of work and energy, but he believes it is a good investment because the Paks II project is a long-term project and a good entry to the international market. It gives stability to the companies that are involved,"Márton Koprás added. "Many Hungarians have gone to work in the West. If we can promise them a job in Paks for 8-10 years, they can move closer to their families," he said.

Paks II. Zrt. has developed and operates a qualification system for the selection of suppliers and the verification of their suitability in accordance with the legislation in force, in particular the provisions of the Atomic Energy Act (CXVI of 1996) and OAH Decree 1/2022 (IV.29) and the annexed Nuclear Safety Regulations (NSSR). Suppliers may only carry out activities concerning nuclear safety with the approval and under the continuous supervision of Paks II. Zrt..

"Safety first and foremost is the reason why only qualified suppliers are allowed to work in the nuclear industry, in areas related to nuclear safety" - dr. Anikó Tömösváry pointed out. The Paks II. Zrt. Director of Licensing and Inspections recalled that for nuclear safety, various activities, structures and equipment are classified in the Atomic Plant Safety Class Classification (ABOS) system. The highest level is ABOS 1, which includes most of the structures and equipment to be installed on nuclear islands. For all activities classified at this level, Paks II. Zrt. carries out the so-called SNQ qualification procedure itself, which always concerns the scope and period of performance of a specific contract. For all other ABOS activities, it is up to Paks II. Zrt. to decide whether the company carries out the qualification itself or whether the main contractor Atomsztrojexport carries out the qualification in the framework of the so-called SNE procedure, but Paks II always receives the audit reports and results. Both the SNQ and the SNE procedure can be carried out by on-site audits or by document review.

In addition to the auditors from the Directorate for Licensing and Supervision, the SNQ procedure always involves staff from the relevant specialised area. The National Nuclear Energy Office is informed about the audits and, if it so decides, participates in the certification itself, where the work of the Paks II colleagues is supervised. The duration of the audit can vary from a few days to a few weeks, depending on the complexity of the activity being certified.

The qualification procedure is carried out by the licensee, i.e. Paks II. Zrt., in order to fulfil its legal obligations, at its own expense, and at no cost to the suppliers. However, the preparation itself, the preparation and operation of the supplier's management system to meet the specific nuclear regulatory requirements (including obtaining certificates) may have costs (costs of hiring internal resources, purchasing legislation, standards, possible costs of hiring consultants).

"In addition to professional compliance, it is a prerequisite that the supplier under review also has a management system that meets the requirements of the Nuclear Safety Code. A reference in the nuclear industry is an advantage, but it alone does not guarantee a successful audit"- added Dr. Anikó Tömösváry.