The welding of 28 joints and step-by-step quality control of all operations took as little as 78 days. “The fact that we have finished welding of the MCC pearlitic section ahead of the planned 84-day period proves that all the processes of this complex reactor construction phase have been improved so as to become almost automatic,” stressed Dmitry Romanets, ASE Construction Manager at the Belarus nuclear power plant. “Our reference time was 72 days, a period spent to complete similar welding operations at the second unit of Novovoronezh II, which is now under construction, too. Rosatom’s engineering division has thus established a new industry standard: MCC welding now needs less than 80 days.” The main circulating circuit measures 850 mm in diameter and has 70 mm thick walls and a total length of 130 meters. It connects core components of the primary loop, including the reactor, steam generators and main circulation pumps. The MCC is designed to ensure the circulation of coolant at 350°C under the pressure of 17.6 MPa.