31.01.2019
THE KURSK NPP INFORMATION AND PUBLIC RELATIONS DEPARTMENT
Around 19 billion rubles will be spent at the construction site of the Kursk NPP-2 in 2019
The implementation of capital investment at the replacement Kursk NPP-2 (an affiliate company of the Rosenergoatom Joint-Stock Company, a part of the Electric Power Division of Rosatom) construction site might reach 19 billion rubles in 2019. These data were announced when Andrey Petrov, the CEO of the Rosenergoatom Joint-Stock Company and the 1st Vice-President of Construction at JSC ASE EC, visited the Kursk NPP on January 29-30, 2019.
The primary assignments that the replacement Kursk NPP-2 construction team needs to focus on in 2019 is to complete the installation of the molten core catcher in the reactor building of the 1st power block and the bottom plate concreting in the reactor building of the 2nd power block. ‘These are the key tasks set by the government for the construction of the first VVER-TOI power blocks in the world, which is why we have to complete those this year and which is why those tasks are a part of the state program’, Mr. Petrov noted when saying that all construction site activities run according to the schedule.
The installation of the molten core catcher (the so-called ‘melt trap’) in the reactor building of the 1st power block is planned to be finished this April. The ‘first concrete’ has to be laid inside the reactor building plate of the 2nd power block within H1, and the concreting is supposed to be completed early H2. At the moment the following activities are fully done: concrete blinding, levelling strainer installation, lightning protection. The moisture-proofing installation and the protective screed are 95% ready.
Other important events due to be completed this year are the backing shaft truss installation at its designed place in the 1st power block’s reactor, the completion of the bearing support installation to finalize the 1st layer of inner confinement within the 2nd power block’s reactor building, etc.
Around 2650 people work at the construction site.
As of now, the Kursk NPP is one of the Top 4 equally powerful nuclear power plants of the system and acts as a major hub for the Unified Energy System. Its main consumer is the ‘Center’ power system covering 19 regions of the Central Federal District in Russia. The nuclear power industry accounts for around 50% of the available capacity of all electric power plants in Chernozemie. The majority of the industrial companies in the Kursk Region are powered by the nuclear industry.
The Kursk NPP-2 is to replace the capabilities of the operating power blocks of the Kursk NPP, which were launched between 1976-1985. It is expected that the annual budget contributions will be around 280 million rubles.
The 3+ generation power blocks boast higher technical and economic parameters. The capacity of the power blocks has been increased by 25%, up to 1255 megawatt, compared to the previous-generation VVER-100 power blocks. The durability of the core equipment has doubled. Thanks to a high degree of automation, the number of staff is now decreased by 30-40%.
The Kursk NPP-2 3+ generation power blocks No.1 and No.2 are the pilot power blocks that are being constructed in accordance with the VVER-TOI project (water-cooled power reactor, typical, optimized, informative). This is a new project launched by the Russian designers (ASE Group, an engineering devision of the Rosatom State Corporation) based on the VVER-1200 NPP technical solutions. 3+ generation power blocks boast higher cost/performance ratios. For example, the capacity has been increased up to 1255 megawatt, which is 25% higher compared to the power blocks of the previous generation (VVER-1000). The major equipment’s durability has increased 2 times, while the number of staff required was decreased by 30-40% thanks to the high level of automation. The VVER-TOI caters for lower construction costs, shorter construction time frames and low maintenance costs compared to other 3+ generation power blocks.
The new Kursk NPP-2 power blocks comply with the most up-to-date security standards set by the IAEA.
The Rosenergoatom Joint-Stock company is the project owner and the technical employer of the facility. The JSC ASE EC is the general designer and the general contractor on the project.
At present, the 2nd, the 3rd and the 4th power blocks of the Kursk NPP operate at the capacity set forth in the operation schedule. The 1st power block is under scheduled maintenance. The background radiation at the Kursk NPP and within its location area is at the normal operational level and does not exceed the natural background.
The most up-to-date information about the radiation situation around the Russian NPPs and other nuclear facilities is available online at www.russianatom.ru
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