In the reactor building of power unit No. 1 of the Kursk NPP-2 under construction, the builders have recently completed the concreting of the fourth layer of the internal containment shell (ICS). The structure of the ICS of the first power unit together with it reached the mark of 43.1 meters.

“Completion of the concreting of the fourth layer of the ICS opens a new scope of work in the reactor building: now the installation of a polar crane and then the structures of the dome part of the ICS are to be done. A special rail track has already been installed for the polar crane. The rail is made in the form of a circle, which will allow the crane to perform all transport and technological operations at any point in the central hall of the reactor compartment. After the polar crane is installed in its regular place, we will proceed with the installation of the fifth and sixth layers of the ICS, which will finally form the dome of the ICS and raise the shell construct to a level of 61.7 meters," explained Andrei Osharin, first deputy director for construction of new units of the Kursk NPP.

The concreting was carried out in two stages. With the help of four concrete placer pumps, 1,117 cubic meters of self-compacting concrete were placed. The specialists of Trest RosSEM completed the work on time, taking account all the technological aspects of the concreting process when working at height in confined spaces.

ICS is one of the most important elements of the power unit safety system which prevents the release of radioactive substances into the environment in case of an emergency.