28.12.2007 // Information Department of Leningrad NPP

The deputy chief engineer for maintenance of Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant Sergey Kovalyov has told us about the key results of the maintenance and modernization campaigns 2007.

— The maintenance campaign was quite successful. In 2007 we carried out four planned repairs: we completed the repair of the 4th unit; repaired the 1st unit; replaced assembly channels of the 3rd unit; and repaired the 2nd unit. In Dec 2007 Leningrad NPP fulfilled 107.9% of its electricity production plant (125mln KWh more than planned). In 2007 we generated 24.051bln KWh – 101.7% of the plan (391mln KWh more than planned). The capacity factor made up 70.18% against planned 68.98%.

That is, the maintenance campaign helped us to fulfill our electricity production plan.

— In the spring and the early summer you fell behind the schedule due to the repair of the 4th unit, didn’t you?

— Yes, we did. Unfortunately, we had problems with replacement of assembly channels. We failed to remove them in time, so, we decided to cut them – we had never used that method before. We cut almost one hundred of channels. That’s why fell behind and produced less electricity than planned. However, by mid Sept we had caught up with the schedule. 

— And what did you do to get ready for the winter?

— The preparations for the autumn-winter peak demand season are the crucial stage of a maintenance campaign. We inspected all our systems and removed all detected deficiencies.

The Rosenergoatom commission has confirmed our readiness for the autumn-winter 2007–2008. They have found 14 defects and we are going to remove them urgently.

Some of the preparatory measures were not very effective or were not purposeful.

We have taken the remarks into consideration and next time we will try to plan our preparations more effectively.

— What was special about this year’s maintenance campaign?

— We started the year with a unit under repair. We had to complete the repair of the 4th unit and we were behind the schedule. But we did it.

The second peculiarity of this year’s campaign was the 65-day overhaul of the 2nd unit and replacement of 74 assembly channels of the 3rd one, i.e. we had two units under repair at one and the same time but both repairs were carried out by the same contractors. It was a hard job but we did it too.

— What are your key tasks for 2008? I suppose it will be a hard year now that we have started large-scale reforms.

— Our key project is the timely completion of the modernization of the 3rd unit and its safe restart. The completion of the repair of the 3rd unit will mark the beginning of the maintenance campaign 2008.

Simultaneously, we will have to help the constructors of Leningrad NPP-2.

— You are said to carry out the biggest overhauls in Rosenergoatom Concern. Our colleagues from other NPPs watch your actions with interest and follow your example.

— Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant is the first NPP with RBMK reactors. The other RBMKs were built later. So, we were the first to face and solve all the related problems. That’s why our colleagues use our experience.

But I would like to say that Kursk and Smolensk NPPs have enough experience of their own. So, we regularly meet and exchange experience.

— And the last question. Who of the repairers would you like to point out?

— It was a hard year for our contractors: they had to repair two units at one and the same time. They faced lots of problems but they worked hard.

Our traditional contractors are Triada, MSU-90, LAESENERGOREMONT, Smetskhimmontazh, ASM, Baltstroymontazh.

Our reactor, turbine, electric, thermal automatics and measurements and chemical departments were actively involved in the campaign.

Today, the Capital Construction Department is the key manager of the modernization of the 2nd and 3rd units.

When you work every day, every hour and, sometimes, round-the-clock, it seems to you that you could do some things better. But I doubt that we can find better contractors than we have.

Despite certain problems, the maintenance campaign 2007 was quite successful.