The typical optimized informative-advanced project of a two unit nuclear power plant with VVER (VVER-TOI) is now at its final stage. The specialists of “Atomenergoproekt” (Rosatom project organization) now are getting agreement on the project from the customer (Rosenergoatom) and preparing document sets to be submitted to Rosatom and Rostechnadzor for review.
The following leading nuclear industry organizations participated in the development of the VVER-TOI project (a project of NPP with the optimized and computerized large power unit based on VVER reactor technology): Atomenergoproekt (architect general), OKB Gidropress (chief designer), NRC Kurchatov Institute (scientific supervisor), VNIIAES (architect-engineer and designer general of APCS), NIAEP jointly with Alstom (turbine island designer).
Russian specialists believe the VVER-TOI project to be able to successfully compete in the world market due to the following factors: the developers achieved the construction cost reduction by 17% and reduction of operational costs by nearly 10%; the construction period of the leading power units nears 48 months.
According to Ilya Kopitov, First Deputy Director General and Director for Engineering at “Atomenergoproekt”, the project is called evolutional, since it has the project design of AES-2006 as the base. The pile assembly is the same, while the capacity is higher due to steam-generators heat-exchange surface enlarging, steam pipes optimization and advanced properties of a turbine-type generator.
“The technology shows lots of innovations, the majority has already been tested while building modern NPPs. At Kudankulam, in India, for instance, the passive safety system went through full-scale tests. That’s why we can confidently call them efficient” – said Kopytov.
VVER-TOI is supposed to become the basis for serial production of NPPs. The project gives detailed patterns for different types of construction sites and conditions. Design specification provides all the requirements concerning equipment and system operation at the temperature varying from -610 up to +520 °С.
The Fukushima Lesson is Learned
According to Kopytov, the experience given by the “Fukushima-1” catastrophe was taken into consideration while constructing VVER-TOI. The special attention was paid to the NPP safe condition autonomy in case of emergency, including all possible natural disasters, such as typhoon or earthquake. Engineering design guarantees the switch of the assembly into safe mode in various situations.
“The stand alone mode, even in case of high-energy line break and total blackout is 72 hours (today the stand alone mode of the station is 24 hours). The more time the emergency situation allows to spare, the better. This is what the passive safety system is for” – Kopytov points out.
