In February Rosatom picked out the site for the Kursk NPP-2, which will be near the Makarovka village in the Kursk region. The site is situated on the territory planned for the third stage of the Kursk NPP. The location decision was made during a meeting of the unit building control team. The representatives of the local administration taking part in the meeting were quite satisfied with the results. “Construction of replacement capacities rises the spirit of the whole region,” – said Alexander Demin, Deputy Governor. “What we really want is the construction to start as soon as possible. While our task is to take care of any kind of problems, which we will do”.
The general designer, NIAEP, now has to do all necessary preparations: determine patterns of the NPP location, do the design of hydraulic engineering installations, purchase all necessary equipment. “Project documentation development for the initial works of the mobilization period of construction – that’s what is most important”, – said Valery Limarenko, the NIAEP president. “We are doing this development and will pass it to the Rosenergoatom Concern and for the Rosatom expertise within a specified period of time”.
Kursk NPP-2 will substitute the units of the existing station, whose operation life ends in 2021 and 2024. The first unit is planned to be built by 2020, the second one – by 2022. Besides, this is the site for the first realization of the VVER-TOI project.
Smolensk Investigations
In February-March the pre-project investigations start at the future Smolensk NPP-2 site. The works are conducted by Atomenergoproyekt, the NPP general designer. The first thing to be done is the inspection of the previously suspended wells along with drilling of some new ones in order to estimate the level and chemical composition of ground waters. Aerologic and weather equipment will be installed, seismic station and water stage gauges localization spots will be chosen. Wide-scale engineering investigation will begin in May, when the weather conditions will allow fully-featured field studies. The surveying season is planned to last till October. By the end of the year the Atomenergoproyekt specialists are to complete a big scope of work, such as transport scheme research for large sized and heavy equipment supplying to the site. Besides in 2013 supporting materials for localization licenses are to be presented, including several chapters of safety case preview report; JOI materials and Environmental Impact Assessment; Quality Assurance Program for the site.
Building Near Voronezh
Meanwhile the two above mentioned stations are only being designed, the Voronezh one is already under construction. In February the assembly of “dry protection” was completed at the Novovoronezh NPP-2. “Dry protection” is the part of the reactor pit equipment and is one of the key elements for its safety. It surrounds the reactor in its active zone (from +4,57 up to + 9,60 meters mark) and is designed for radiation and heat impact reduction on the concrete pit. The equipment is a steel cylinder with double skin, the space between the skins is filled with concrete of special composition, meant to effectively reduce neutron current. Besides at the site a meeting of a control team was held, where they decided to supply equipment for more than RUB 10 billion to the site of the NPP in 2013.
Leningrad Tasks
The control team meeting also took place at the Leningrad NPP-2 site. Alexander Palamarchuk, Deputy General Director of Rosenergoatom, expressed a high opinion of works conducted on site in 2012 and beginning of 2013. He gave special notice to the growing speed and scope of construction works as well as to fulfillment of investment program of 2012. According to Palamarchuk, they had managed to create a real business team in order to fulfill the main task, which is the Leningrad NPP-2 building. The tasks for 2013 are the following: to increase the number of personnel on the site in order to correspond with the man-assignment schedule requirement; organize the work of construction technology laboratory and geodetic surveying; finish the construction base objects 1, necessary for construction, February milestone fulfillment.
Baltic Takeaways
The results of the previous year were summed up at the Baltic NPP, currently under construction: all the compliance measures are fulfilled. At the unit 1 site, for instance, the core melt trap is installed on its proper location. “Today the work is going on at 25 objects of the main buildings and at 26 temporary objects” – said Viacheslav Machonin, Construction Manager. “The works at the two units are being done by 20 subcontractors, with about 1500 people working on the site”. Today’s task is the safety building walls reinforcement from – 8, 800 up to – 4,100.
Design spot
The main event of the month at the Rostov NPP is the pre-scheduled installation of the turbine generator stator of power unit 3 onto its design spot, done by VDMU “Gidromontazh” JSC (part of the NIAEP, the general contractor). In February the works on installing the reactor room pressure equalizer onto its design spot will start. The plan is to finish the works in March. Besides the specialists are currently laying the cable over the main building and will continue the pipeline assembling. “We are now preparing for one of the main events on the unit – installation of the reactor vessel onto its design spot” – said Valery Limarenko, the NIAEP President. “This step usually shows readiness of power unit and for us it is sort of a test to pass before the main examination, which is the power unit launch preparation”. According to the schedule, the reactor adjustment is to take place in June 2013.
