Another phase of the Novovoronezh NPP 7th power block’s construction has been finalized with the reactor building’s transportation gate having been installed at its design position.

“That’s the last piece of large heavy equipment installed at the 7th power block’s reactor building, which means that the latter has been fully completed”, said Andrey Bokhan, deputy head of the Atomenetgoproject affiliate office responsible for heat assembly activities.

A cylindrical chamber (with the weight of 228 tons, the length of over 12 meters, the diameter of around 10 meters) was elevated from the zero point up to 26.3 meters using a Demag crawler crane with a capacity of 1200 tons, installed in a special truck and moved into the reactor building.

The transportation gate is an integral part of the localization safety system. Loads are delivered through this gate during preventive maintenance and fuel exchange. As a result, the transportation gate caters for the reactor building’s containment and helps to protect the staff and the environment from radioactive effects.

Upon transportation gate installation onto its design position, the team will move to the final phase, which is the pre-tensioning system tightening. This one consists of extra heavy wire cables designed to strengthen the reactor’s inner containment multiple times.


According to the NPP-2006 project, construction of the 7th power block with a VVER-1200 reactor pre-supposes a double (inner and outer) reactor containment, which houses the reactor assembly’s main equipment.

In terms of security, the containment is the most important part of an NPP, the last physical barrier for radioactive materials and ionizing radiation.

Novovoronezh NPP reactor unit No.7 is a standard new-generation 3+ Russian NPP project with the advanced technical and economic parameters. It was constructed based on the NPP-2006 design with the VVER-1200 reactor unit. The project takes advantage of the decades-long experience in secure and accident-free NPP operation with VVER reactor units. The contemporary design incorporates the requirements towards the scientific and technical documentation in Russia and IAEA recommendations.

Since June 2007 Rosenergoatom Concern OJSC has been involved into the construction of the two new-generation Novovoronezh NPP power generation plants based on the NPP-2006 project as the owner and the developer. The construction is carried out in accord-ance with the operational program of the national nuclear corporation ROSATOM enacted by the Government of the Russian Federation in the Resolution No. 705 dated September 20, 2008, and is funded at the expense of Rosenergoatom and the asset contribution. VVER-1200 reactor units will operate at the new LM NPP blocks.

The VVER-1200 RU project complies with all Russian and international security standards. Its main differentiator is the improved security system that makes the project’s security parameters second to none.


Novovoronezh NPP Information and Public Relations Administration.