Shell of reactor is in its due place

18.12.2007 // Information Department of Volgodonsk NPP

On Dec 14 the shell of WWER-1000 reactor of unit 2 of Rostov NPP was mounted to its due place in the reactor compartment

This unique operation was started on Dec 6 and was carried out by specialists of unit 1 of Volgodonsk NPP and the contractor organizations involved in the construction of unit 2. Now the constructors can mount the other equipment of the primary cooling circuit.

The federal target program for the development of the nuclear industry of Russia in 2007–2010 and -2015 envisages large-scale construction of nuclear power plants with WWER reactors, particularly, the completion of the construction of unit 2 of Rostov NPP and unit 4 of Kalinin NPP (both with WWER-1000 reactors) and the construction of two WWER reactors a year starting from 2009. By 2015 Russia is planning to build 10 new reactors and to start 10 more construction projects.

WWER reactors have been successfully operated for almost 40 years already. The deputy director general of Rosenergoatom Concern-the director of Volgodonsk Nuclear Power Plant Alexander Palamarchuk says that WWER reactors are very safe: “They have proved their safety and efficiency both in Russia and abroad. As regards their economic efficiency, I would like to say that Volgodonsk NPP has never worked at a loss. WWER reactors are the core of Rosenergoatom’s revenues and the budget of the construction of new nuclear power units.”

Presently, Russia is finishing designing WWER-1200 reactor – the basis of NPP-2006. It is the best technology we have had so far. It meets all international standards and in some parameters is even better than foreign analogues. The service life of the new reactor is 60 years, the capacity factor – 90%. The first such reactors will be launched at Novovoronezh NPP-2 and Leningrad NPP-2 (both project started in 2007).

Note

Presently, Russia has 10 nuclear power plants with 31 units operating at a total capacity of 23,242MW: 15 of them are WWER reactors (9 WWER-1000 and 6 WWER-440).