[en] The development of educational facilities for nuclear power plant personnel in the FRG from the early 1970s is described. Training at simulators has been possible since 1977. Attention is paid to the legal aspects of nuclear power plant personnel training. The training programmes for primary education of fresh personnel and for continuous keeping up and refreshing of professional knowledge are characterized in detail. (Z.M.)

[en] In the Federal Republic of Germany the development of commercial nuclear power plants and the development of training and qualification standards for operation personnel have experienced a parallel evolution. The commissioning of the first German experimental commercial nuclear power station, VAK, KAHL (15 MW) took place in 1961. Plant technology was produced in the USA and so was the major part of the personnel training. In 1966 the utilities established the first guideline dealing with the qualification and training of operation personnel. Eight years later - in 1974 - authorities and the utilities jointly formulated and the authorities issued the basic guideline. Since 1974 seven years have passed, seven nuclear power plants have been commissioned and four more guidelines have been issued. Training and retraining programs for reactor personnel are described

[en] For the simulation of the rupture of the steam generator heating tube, a further steam generator shell is required, so as to assure controlled cooling down of the primary cycle. In fact, the defected steam generator has to be removed, so that it is no longer available for the shutdown procedure. For the simulation, the rupture of a heating tube is simulated by opening a connection pipe, the first steam generator shell is shut down, and the second is used for the shutdown operation for coontrolled cooling down of the primary cycle. (orig./DG)

[en] Safety culture is used as a synonym for safety consciousness of the operating personnel and safety-oriented management of all activities inside a nuclear power plant. Establishing safety culture in nuclear power plant operation and maintenance calls for the existence of a safe and reliable reactor safety concept, derived from a reactor safety analysis and nuclear power plant operation experience. Competence of plant personnel and safety culture in the operation, maintenance and repair of nuclear power plants are discussed. (Z.S.)

[en] For some time already, the government of the state of Hessen has executed legislation as if it was rehearsing the nuclear phase-out. The most prominent object of its attention is the Biblis nuclear power station of RWE Energie AG with its units A and B. Unit A (1204 megawatts) was shut down from April '95 to August '96, although the defects discovered in the 1995 annual check were quickly remedied. Klaus Distler, the director of the power station, points out the safety standards and protection targets of the plant. He also discusses the results of the safety analysis carried out by the technical control board (''TUeV''). (orig.)

[en] At the time Biblis was planned, the light water reactor line had become accepted in the Federal Republic of Germany just as in the United States of America. Hence, the only choice to be made about the type of reactor was that between a boiling water and a pressurized water plant. The decision was taken in favor of a pressurized water reactor of the 1000 MW category. The unit power was determined by the wish to make use of decremental specific capital costs by achieving the highest possible unit power. The unit size had been chosen also in order to establish a model for future nuclear power plants with respect to standardization in terms of manufacture, operation, and licensing. The two reactor units at Biblis constituted a technological quantum leap in terms both of unit size and, especially, of the dimensioning of large components. Technical planning was based on the principles of redundancy, diversity, and failsafe mechanisms, which have demonstrated their practical value to this day. Construction work of Biblis B began in the spring of 1972. The plant was first synchronized with the power grid on April 25, 1976. (orig.)

[en] The Biblis A nuclear generating unit was shut down for its 18th annual revision and refueling outage on April 21, 1995. However, it was not possible to resynchronize the unit with the power grid on July 11, 1995 as planned; instead, it has been held in a special situation since early July. The Hesse State Ministry for the Environment even intends to decommission it within the framework of executing the law in a spirit of opting out of nuclear power altogether. Backfitting measures are blocked so that excuses may be found for criticizing seeming safety defects. In this respect, the Hesse State Government is not even afraid of getting into conflicts with the federal supervisory powers. The operator of the nuclear power plant it yet attempting to implement the backfitting measures and limit financial losses by claiming damages. Ultimately, this situation also blocks investments which could protect jobs with supplier industries. (orig.)

[en] Electricity has been supplied into the German interconnected power grid from the site of Biblis for the past twenty years. Construction of unit A of the Biblis Nuclear Power Station as a 1200 MW pressurized water reactor plant marked the end in 1974 of the development of pressurized water reactors by way of experimental and demonstration plants, i.e. Obrigheim and Stade, in the sixties. Unit A of the Biblis Nuclear Power Station paved the way for the further development of German standardized 1300 MW pressurized water reactors in the late eighties. (orig.)

[en] As a result of the 1986 Chernobyl disaster and the opening up of the Eastern block, a ''World Association of Nuclear Operators'' (WANO) was created in Moscow in 1989; it was clear to all involved in the operation of atomic plants that another such incident would raise serious questions about the future of atomic energy. The general aim of WANO and associated operators of atomic plants is that through strengthened cooperation and communication, the safety and reliability of atomic plants could be increased worldwide. The following report details the partnership between the Balakovo and Biblis atomic plants. Eight meetings have taken place within the framework of this particular partnership, communicating views and experiences. The organisation of the meetings, the themes under discussion, the results and the long term plans are all set out in detail. (orig.)

[en] For the positions of shift boss, shift boss' secondary and reactor operator, operating and monitoring tasks and the qualification required are derived by the example of German 1.300 MW PWR-type reactor design. The TMI/2 incident makes this an issue of utmost topicality. The state of discussions in the Federal Republic of Germany is shown. (orig./DG)