What can you practice inside of reactors?

The safety and security of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant is primarily guaranteed by the ability of professionals ensuring  the operability of the equipment. The maintanence crew members are responsible for inspections, necessary repairs and replacement of all equipment, both during operation and in the course of programmed maintenance stops, that is during the so-called overhaul periods. An almost year-long problem and failure-free operation of the equipment is highly dependent on the quality of their work.

The first generation of maintenance crew played a major role during construction of the Nuclear Power Plant when they inspected, installed and started the shipped-in equipment, technology and control systems. In clean conditions they could see and touch each small part, they could learn their operations and could be trained to maintain them. Since starting the reactor units some items of equipment have been built into certain places and operate in such conditions which cannot facibility the direct training of younger maintenance professionals. Hence, the management of the NPP found a solution to provide reliable training facilites for the following generations.

Their will coincided with developments of the International Atomic Energy Agency, namely giving a positive example to the maintenance crew of NPPs via a model project aimed to establish a maintenance training centre and a comprehensive training programme portfolio, which provides effective training. Thus IAEA seconded the inquiry of Paks NPP and started the so-called Technical Co-operation Model Project. In the framework of the project the Maintenance Training Centre was built, which, due to further fortunate circumstances uniquely owns real main blocks of a nuclear power plant since, in view of the TC Model Project, the Agency purchased parts of Paks-type (WWER-440) reactor units built for Germany and Poland but which had never been installed.

Thus there is a real reactor, steam generator and other main blocks providing a unique training capability for maintenance crews. Like the Simulator the Maintenance Training Centre has numerous other functions besides the training of the maintenance personnel. Its equipment provide an outstanding environment for development, as well as tests of maintenance and material analysis tools and technologies. Maintenance Training Centre plays an important role in maintaining fruitful external connections. Visitors can gain unforgettable experiences by a simple view of nuclear devices or examination and hands-on experience. The professional instruction of the tutors can reveal numerous secrets of atomic energy production and the operation of nuclear equipment.