Over 16,000 cubic meters of self-compacting concrete were poured into the foundation. The use of self-compacting concrete helped perform the task faster and with higher quality. After the concreting was completed, work began to build containment walls and internal containment structures.

“Kursk-II is based on the advanced VVER-TOI design. This plant will be a reference for all subsequent nuclear plant construction projects in Russia and other countries,” said Alexei Deriy, ASE Vice President for Russian Projects.

For reference:

Kursk II with its two 1,255 MW reactor units is designed to replace the existing Kursk Nuclear Power Plant. The new plant is based on the VVER-TOI design concept involving VVER-1200 reactor solutions and providing for increased capacity and improved safety. VVER-TOI units will be able to withstand a 9 magnitude earthquake and direct crash of a 20-ton fighter jet. The crash of a 400-ton airplane (like Boeing-747) is also taken into account. Reactor units will remain absolutely safe in severe accidents, such as a loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA) or total power outage. If the both of these accidents occur simultaneously, power units will be able to operate standalone for up to 72 hours.

The VVER-TOI design provides for the development of a data model for power units. Information accumulated in the engineering data management system will be used at different stages of the plant’s life cycle, from developing a design concept to decommissioning.