Equipment airlock for second unit delivered to Belarusian nuclear power plant construction site

An equipment airlock, which is one of the largest and heaviest pieces of equipment for the reactor building of the second power-generating unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant, has been delivered to the construction site, the ASE Company press service told BelTA. The company is the general designer and general contractor for the project to build the Belarusian nuclear power plant. The company represents the engineering division of the Russian state nuclear industry corporation Rosatom.

According to Vitaly Polyanin, ASE Company Vice President and supervisor of the Belarusian nuclear power plant construction project, the equipment airlock was delivered as part of preparations for installing the main equipment in the second unit. Once the equipment airlock has passed an incoming inspection, it will be installed into its designated position inside the reactor building.

The equipment airlock is a cylindrical chamber 14 meters long and over 9 meters in diameter. It is hermetically sealed on both ends. The gates of the airlock open one after another, keeping the reactor compartment properly sealed at all times.

When it becomes part of the live power-generating unit, the equipment airlock will be used to transport containers with spent nuclear fuel, containers with fresh nuclear fuel, transport all kinds of process equipment, which is needed for operating and maintaining the nuclear reactor.

The 230-tonne piece of equipment is now in the incoming inspection area.

The Belarusian nuclear power plant is being built using a Russian design featuring VVER-1200 reactors near Ostrovets, Grodno Oblast. The first power-generating unit is scheduled for commissioning in 2019, with the second one to go online in 2020.