The installation staff has finished working on the third out of four accumulators of the emergency core cooling system at the Rostov NPP’s 4th power block under construction. The previous two accumulators were installed at the end of 2015.

This safety system made of four accumulators works autonomously without any staff being involved and with no external power supply sources being used. One accumulator weighs 86 tons and has a volume of 93 cubic meters.

When giving his comments on the progress at the power block construction site, Alexey Fedotov, the deputy director of the Rostov NPP capital construction, said that the installation activities will give way to the adjustment and start-up operations once all four accumulators of the emergency core cooling system are completed in the reactor hall.


“As a matter of fact, the installation of the emergency core cooling system is the last heavy equipment installation operation in the reactor hall. Shortly, the last accumulator will be delivered to the installation site, too. In parallel, we run the cooling pond hydrotests, adjust the refueling machine, and scroll the motor-operated valves and the mechanisms. During this technological operation, we will purify the pipes and the reactor installation’s equipment. The “spill” is scheduled later this year”, Mr. Fedotov said.

Besides, the team of the 4th power block construction is working on the pre-tensioning of the containment system ropes. The turbine is being installed at the machine hall.

The 4th power block is supposed to be launched in 2017.

The Rostov NPP is an affiliate company for Rosenergoatom Concern OJSC. The plant is based at the Tsymlianskoe reservoir shore 13.5 km away from Volgodonsk. The NPP operates VVER-1000 reactors with the installed capacity of 1000 megawatts. The power block No.1 commenced commercial operations in 2001, with the second and the third power blocks to follow in 2010 and on September 17, 2015, respectively. The power block No. 4 is currently under construction.

The up-to-date information on the nuclear environment close to the Russian NOOs and other nuclear objects is available at www.russianatom.ru

The Rostov NPP Information and Public Relations Administration.