Reactor compartment equipment for Belarusian nuclear power plant on its way

The Russian company ZiO-Podolsk has started shipping equipment for the first power-generating unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant, BelTA learned from Inna Vavulina, Press Secretary of OAO Atomenergomash.

The equipment includes components of the system designed to balance pressure in the reactor plant, which in turn is one of the most important components of the nuclear power plant. The equipment is a reservoir inside the reactor’s protective shell and is designed to condensate steam, which is fed by the pressure compensator. The device weighs 15 tonnes, it is about 8m long, the diameter is 2.4m, with the height at 4m.

ZiO-Podolsk has already made similar products for Russian and foreign nuclear power plants. For instance, the equipment is in use at the Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran, the Kudankulam nuclear power plant in India, the Tianwan nuclear power plant in China, the Leningrad nuclear power plant and the Rostov nuclear power plant in Russia.

In accordance with the signed contracts ZiO-Podolsk will have to make and deliver eight sets of separator superheaters with components for two power-generating units. Another bubble condenser will be made for the second power-generating unit.

ZiO-Podolsk is part of Atomenergomash, the mechanical engineering division of the Russian state nuclear industry corporation Rosatom. ZiO-Podolsk makes highly complicated heat exchange equipment for fuel and energy industry installations. Equipment made by ZiO-Podolsk accounts for about 40% of the installed energy capacity in Russia, the CIS states, and the Baltic states.

The Belarusian nuclear power plant is a project to build an AES-2006 type nuclear power plant 18km away from Ostrovets, Grodno Oblast. The power plant will have two power-generating units with the total output capacity of up to 2,400MW (2x1,200MW). The Russian merged company OAO NIAEP – ZAO ASE is the general designer and the general contractor of the project. In line with the general contract for building the nuclear power plant the first power-generating unit is scheduled for commissioning in 2018, with the second one to go online in 2020.