First core catcher for Belarusian nuclear station scheduled for installation in 2014

The core catcher for the first power-generating unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant will be installed this year, BelTA learned from Nikolai Grusha, Director of the Nuclear Energy Department of the Belarusian Energy Ministry, at the science to practice conference held on 2 April to discuss prospects of nuclear power development in Belarus.

The core catcher has been made by the Russian Volgodonsk-based company Atommash. It is a special system designed to protect load-bearing structures of the hermetically sealed shell from thermomechanical impact of the molten core, which temperature can exceed 2,000C, in an emergency. The core catcher is a large structure weighing 800 tonnes.

Apart from that, Nikolai Grusha said they plan to build the foundation slab for the reactor building of the first power-generating unit this year. In particular, the reactor building foundation will reach zero mark, the reactor shaft will reach plus 7.35m mark, the internal protective shell will reach 8m mark. As far as the second power-generating unit is concerned, this year’s plans include the construction of the foundation slab for the reactor building up to minus 7m mark, while the turbine building will reach minus 6m mark.

The construction of housing infrastructure for the Belarusian nuclear power plant personnel will be continued this year and about 35,000m2 of homes will be commissioned. By the end of the year the number of personnel is supposed to rise to 3,400 people. At present about 2,000 people are involved in the power plant’s construction.

At the conference head of the merged company NIAEP-ASE Valery Limarenko noted that the construction of the Belarusian nuclear power plant is an example to be followed because the contractor and the customer examine every detail.

On 1 April Director General of the Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant Mikhail Filimonov said that the amount of work that will be done in 2014 will exceed last year’s work by six times. At present work is in progress on two power-generating units at once.

Construction workers started pouring concrete into the foundation of the facilities that will make up the first power-generating unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant at the Ostrovets site in November 2013. The Belarusian nuclear power plant will boast two power-generating units with the total generating capacity of up to 2,400MW (1,200MW each). The Russian design AES-2006 has been chosen to build the power plant. The design is fully compliant with international standards and IAEA recommendations. The Russian merged company OAO NIAEP – ZAO Atomstroyexport (ASE) is the general designer and the general contractor for building the power plant. The timeline for implementing the project is stipulated by the general contract. The first power-generating unit of the nuclear power plant is scheduled for launch in November 2018.