07.07.2008 // Press service of Atomstroyexport CJSC

The scheduled maintenance of the 2nd unit of Tianwan NPP has been successfully completed

On July 6 2008 the 2nd unit of Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant (China) was restarted after scheduled maintenance by specialists of Atomstroyexport CJSC and Rosenergoatom Concern.

The maintenance lasted for 66 days. The Chinese and Russian specialists tested the medal of the main equipment of the reactor (shell, main circulation pipelines, heat exchange pipes of the steam generators), inspected the main circulation pumps, the turbines, the generator, the turbine condenser, the high-pressure heaters and other equipment and refueled the reactor.

The maintenance of the 1st unit of Tianwan NPP was successfully completed in early Mar 2008.

Since their launch the 1st and 2nd reactors of Tianwan NPP have supplied Jiangsu province with 16,102,512.5 MW (the 1st reactor – 9,267,723.4 MW, the 2nd reactor – 6,834,789.1 MW).

Note

On Dec 18 1992 the Russian and Chinese governments agreed that they would jointly build an NPP in China and that Russia would provide China with a government credit for that project. In 1992–1997 the sides considered details, made contracts and additional agreements, prepared the feasibility report, Russia supplied China with necessary materials. At first, the sides planned to build the NPP in the province of Liaoning, but, later, they chose Lianyungang City of Jiangsu Province. On Dec 29 1997 Russia and China signed a general contract stipulating that Atomstroyexport should build in Lianyungang two nuclear power units with WWER-1000 reactors with a total capacity of 2000 MW. The construction was started in 1998.

Among the other participants in the Unit 2 project were Atomenergoproject (St. Petersburg), general designer of Tianwan NPP, Hydropress, designer of reactor system, Kurchatov Institute, research manager, as well as Izhora Plants, Power Machines and other companies producing equipment for NPPs – a total of 150 Russian companies and organizations.

Experts say that WWER-1000 reactor is very safe. It has deeply echeloned protection system: double shell for preventing emission of radiation and for protecting the reactor and a kind of a trap for keeping melted core inside and preventing it from destroying the foundations of the plant in case of an accident. This is a unique technology and China is the first country to have it. The “trap” has been designed by Russian engineers and approved by Russian, Chinese and IAEA inspectors.

During a meeting in Moscow on Nov 6 2007 President of Atomstroyexport CJSC Sergey Shmatko and General Manager of Jiangsu Nuclear Power Corporation (JNPC) Jiang Guoyuan signed a framework agreement for the construction of the 3rd and 4th units of Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant (China).

Atomstroyexport CJSC is the leading Russian organization implementing contracts for the construction of nuclear power plants abroad. After the launch of two units of Tianwan NPP in China, ASE continues the construction of Kudankulam NPP in India, Busherh NPP in Iran and Belene NPP in Bulgaria.