15.12.2006 // Press service of Rosenergoatom

The deputy chief engineers of the Rosenergoatom NPPs completed there conference on Dec 15

Rosenergatom NPPs deputy chief engineers for modernization completed their conference on Dec 15, 2006. Specialists of Energoatom (Ukraine), WANO Moscow Center and research institutes also took part in the conference.

Technical Director of Rosenergoatom Nikolay Sorokin pointed out that the key achievement of the year is that the concern has fulfilled all of its modernization plans. As a result eleven over-30-year-old reactors have been upgraded.

Sorokin said that the concern is drafting a new complex modernization program, which will be finalized in the first quarter of 2007 and submitted for the approval of the head of Rosatom Sergey Kiriyekno.

«The approval by the Rosatom head will add importance to the program,» Sorokin said. «That’s why the demand for its implementation will be on a very high level. The program is especially important because of growing electricity shortfall. The situation in the energy system is tensed. Last winter there were serious electricity shortages in the Moscow, Leningrad and Tumen regions. In the meantime, the real consumption growth is outrunning the most optimistic forecasts. In 2006 in Moscow alone the index grew by 5.5%.»

The head of the Scientific-Technical Support Department of Rosenergoatom Sergey Nemytov pointed out the necessity of improving the electro-technical equipment of the NPPs as equipment failures are the most frequent cause of low NPP output. In 2005, because of failures, NPPs produced 811 mln KW/h less, in Jan-Sept 2006 — 431 mln KW/h less.
 
«We are planning to install new transformers of well-known companies like ABB, Siemens, Areva and Trench,» Nemytov said.

Summing up the results of the conference Sorokin said that it has revealed a number of problems requiring solution, particularly, on an inter-state level. One such problem is lack of personnel at design institutes.

Note

According to Director General of Rosenergoatom Sergey Obozov, as of mid Nov the NPP output in Russia exceeded 134 bln KW/h, which means a 5.8% growth as against the last year (with new capacities exclusive).

Obozov said that this means that Rosenergoatom undertakes part of the responsibility for solving the problem of energy crisis on a federal level.

The additional output has been termed «energy efficiency.» In mid Nov the plant ratio made up 75.4%, which is 3% more than by mid Nov 2005. «I would like to remind that by raising the plant ratio by just 1% we will generate additional 2 bln KW/h a year,» Obozov said.