The 2nd accumulator building that was constructed as a part of the program to extend the life span of the 2nd power block to 60 years has successfully undergone a series of verifications and received an approval from the Don Interregional Territorial Administration overseeing the nuclear and radiation safety under the auspices of the Federal Service for Ecological, Technological and Atomic Supervision (Rostekhnadzor) stating that the facility complies with the requirements stated in the project documentation.

The construction took over two years. During this period of time, a building was erected with a two-section tunnel and a trestle. Over 2,000 cubic meters of concrete were placed, and the total length of assembled cablings was 54 km.

Four water accumulators with the volume of 60 cubic meters and weight of over 60 tons each have been installed at the building. In order to assemble those, a special complicated production plan was developed, and a truck crane was used with the capacity of 250 tons.

‘The accumulator building is a key element of the passive safety system at the power block under upgrade. This system is required to cool down the reactor’s core in case of an emergency. It works automatically and facilitate the power block’s safety’, Vasiliy Omelchuk, the director at the Kola NPP, explained.

He also noted that the fact of obtaining a license from Rostekhnadzor both confirms top-notch quality of the completed works and marks the final stage of the 2nd power block’s upgrade program aimed at extending its life span up to 60 years.

As of now, the team in the Murmansk region is working actively on the construction of new production and infrastructure facilities, which is why experts forecast an upsurge in the energy consumption in the region. The upgrade of the 2nd power block will help the Kola NPP operate four facilities until 2033 and guarantee the electric power supply to the existing and the emerging production companies as well as to the residential buildings and social objects.