APPROACHES TO EXTENDING THE LIFE OF BIOLOGICAL PROTECTION OF NUCLEAR FACILITIES AT UKRAINIAN NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS

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Problem statement. Ensuring the safety of nuclear power plants is one of the main issues of Ukraine's national security. The operation of operating nuclear power units in Ukraine has always been associated with the risk of radiation leakage into the soil, rivers or the atmosphere. Since the late 2000s, the power industry has faced a significant challenge: ‘How to extend the regulatory operation and prolong the use of biological protection of the units?’ There are 15 nuclear power units in operation in the country, three ChNPP units are being decommissioned in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, and Unit 4, together with the Shelter and the new safe confinement, is in the process of being transformed into an environmentally safe system. Ukraine has a number of facilities with spent nuclear fuel, radioactive waste and ionising radiation sources. In addition, radiation technologies are used in industry, medicine, science and other sectors. The purpose of the article − analysis of the technical condition and operation of Ukrainian nuclear power units and consideration of the issue of assessing the physical deterioration of NPP unit structures and measures aimed at improving their operational safety. To further improve the level of safety of power units, reduce the risks of accidents at NPPs during natural disasters or other extreme situations, improve the efficiency of managing design and beyond-design basis accidents at NPPs, and minimise their consequences. Conclusion. The considered issues on lifetime extension of power units in operation in Ukraine are highly relevant. The issue of extending the life of biological protection of nuclear power units, taking into account national and international experience, allows to continue operation of a nuclear power plant without shutdown and mothballing. Taking into account the actual state of the building structures of the units, an improved control system was proposed that allows assessing the risks of abnormal and emergency situations during the operation of power unit equipment and eliminating violations during scheduled design and repair work.