The electric wiring of the refueling machine equipment at the Leningrad NPP’s 1st power block under construction has been completed: the refueling machine management system has been installed, configured to operate in the “simulator” mode, and trialed with electric power supply.

The NPP’s team has also installed the electric equipment of the refueling machine’s bridge and its carrier which moves over the servicing zone via a railway and carries a three-unit telescopic working pole. This very pole carries all the mechanisms for fuel assembly grip displacement, cluster grip displacement, and moving the working pole to open and close the hermetic casing caps.


“The refueling machine is both the main transportation and technological equipment used for all operations with nuclear fuel and a one-of-a-kind mechanism”, Alexander Rudnik, the deputy chief engineer of the Leningrad NPP responsible for Computer-Aided Process Control Systems. “As of now, we have finalized the first stage when we powered the refueling machine management system and checked how it worked. As we know now that all mechanisms work normally, we can move forward with commissioning and start-up. The following major operation related to the refueling machine is called filing the coordinates. As a matter of fact, the refueling mechanism is so elaborately constructed that the refueling operations can be carried out with pinpoint accuracy. Due to the fact that fuel assemblies are located in different places – either at the cooling pond or at the reactor itself – the refueling machine needs to file the coordinates first. Afterwards, an operator is to place an order as to where the fuel is to be taken and where to move it, and the machine will complete the operation on its own, thus eliminating any human-related errors. Once the refueling machine is launched operational, our specialists can move forward with charging the imitation zone of the reactor”.

Refueling the reactor is one of the most complex and critical parts of the technological processes at an NPP, which is the reason why those operations are controlled via a special TV system. The latter is now being connected to power supply.
The commissioning trials of the refueling machine management system will open up a large scope of work for the Leningrad NPP team, mainly related to the dummy assemblies and the spent fuel storage pond that are also a part of the refueling procedure, an essential one in operating a reactor unit.

The Leningrad NPP is an affiliate company for Rosenergoatom Concern OJSC. The plant is based in the city of Sosnovy Bor, 40 km to the west from Saint Petersburg at the Gulf of Finland shore. The Leningrad NPP is the first Russian nuclear power plant having RBMK-1000 reactors (uranium-graphite channel-type thermal neutron reactors). The NPP exploits 4 power blocks with the electric capacity of 1000 megawatt each. Also, pursuant to the NPP-2006 project, 1,2 VVER-1200 power blocks included into The State Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOM long-term plan are being constructed. Rosenergoatom Concern OJSC is the owner and developer of the project. Holding TITAN-2 is the primary contractor. ATOMPROEKT is the general designer.


Leningrad  NPP Information and Public Relations Administration.