Novovoronezh NPP-2
Novovoronezh NPP-2 (customer — OJSC Concern Rosenergoatom, general designer and general contractor — JSC Atomenergoproekt, Moscow) recently commenced installation of the reactor vessel of the second power unit. Reactor vessel is installed in the design position in two stages. At the first stage the reactor vessel (mass — over 330 tons) was lifted using DEMAG crane to the transport portal at +26.3 m elevation mark and moved inside the containment. Reactor vessel will be installed at the second stage in the beginning of March in the operation position using a polar crane, which is currently being registered after completion of tests.

“Today this one of the milestones of power unit 7 construction,” said Victor Wagner, the first deputy chief engineer of Novovoronezh NPP in charge for new units. “This work will be followed by installation of four steam generators, reactor circulation pumps and pipelines”.

The principal production goal of this year is to prepare the full-scale build-up of heat- and electric installation works in power unit 7.

INFORMATION
VVER-1200 reactor is the new generation equipment. Today it is the most powerful reactor in Russia. The main advantages of VVER reactors (water-cooled power reactor) are its high efficiency, durability and safety. Equipment service life makes 60 years.

“NPP-2006” project, according to which new power units of the fourth stage of Novovoronezh NPP are built, is characterized by a combination of active and passive safety systems. Technologies corresponding to post-Fukushima requirements and increasing the NPP reliability, stability to external and internal actions are applied here.

Leningrad NPP-2
The major event has occurred during LNPP-2 construction. It is to be recalled that welding of the main circulation pipeline (MCP) of Leningrad NPP-2 power unit No. 1 started in October of last year. This operation was completed ahead of schedule. Terms of performance of this major heat equipment installation operation, which directly influences the start-up of the first power unit, are impressing enough: experts of JSC CONCERN TITAN-2 general subcontractor dealt successfully with the task in only 109 days instead of scheduled 140 days.

Experts worked according to “assembly – welding of perlitic parts – high-temperature processing – application of protective building-up welding” principle. All performed operations were simultaneously assessed step-by-step — all kinds of necessary non-destructive control (visual, control by measurement, X-ray inspection, penetrant test and ultrasonic examination) were performed for each welded connection, confirming its high quality. The operating procedure was improved: welding was performed simultaneously for four joints. Completion of MCL welding will commence works on installation of pumping systems on the decompressed reactor. 

Main circulation line (total length — more than 160 m) connects the basic equipment of the primary circuit: reactor, steam and gas generators and reactor recirculation pumps. MCP is intended for the reactor core coolant circulation and to transfer heat to steam generators.

Rostov NPP
Power unit 3 was shut down on February 24 for scheduled maintenance according to the staged program of pilot production. Scheduled maintenance 27 days long will last approximately until March 22. Repair will be performed within the power unit No. 3 repair campaign in reactor and turbine departments, as well as on the core and auxiliary equipment of other shops.

Work also proceeds on the fourth unit. Polar crane was mounted in the unit reactor department in the middle of February. It is possible to perform all handling operations in any point of the reactor department using the crane, which moves along the round gantry rail. The polar crane is used during the power unit construction to lift and install equipment (reactor, steam generators, etc.) During NPP operation this crane is used for transportation and process operations for refueling, reactor inspection, etc. During the unit decommissioning the crane will perform lift-and-carry operations to dismantle equipment in the power unit reactor department. “Works on electrical installation of the crane and adjustment works are in progress now; the polar crane shall be tested and start to operate in April”, Oleg Shulyar, director of JSC Sezam Volgodonsk branch, explained the course of works on the polar crane. It is planned to start-up power unit 4 of Rostov NPP in 2017.