Capacity enhancement at Volgodonsk NPP

21.03.2008 // Information Department of Volgodonsk NPP

WANO technical support mission visited Volgodonsk NPP Mar 17–22 2008

The subject of the visit was “Capacity Enhancement.” The mission comprised the deputy chief engineer of South-Ukrainian NPP Dmitry Sokolov (Ukraine), the director of the Capacity Enhancement program of Paks NPP Lajos Hadnagy (Hungary), the head of the Technical Measurements Department of Bohunice NPP Imrich Kreimer (Slovakia) and the representative of Smolensk NPP Oleg Kuzhaniyazov (Russia). The mission was led by the advisor of the WANO Moscow Center Aleskey Poliakov.

The chief engineer of Volgodonsk NPP Andrey Salnikov welcomed the experts. He wished them fruitful work and good time on the Don land. He told the guests about the key aspects of the plant’s program for enhancement of capacity to 104% of nominal level. “All necessary documents are ready, so, after completing our maintenance campaign 2008, we are planning to start gradually enhancing our capacity,” Salnikov said.

Salnikov presented the details of the program. As of today, the preparatory work is over. During this year’s maintenance campaign, Volgodonsk NPP is planning to modernize its reactor and turbine equipment.

The management of the plant realize the importance of these measures and considers it their duty to take part in this program of supervising agencies and designer companies.

Volgodonsk is not the first Russian NPP that is enhancing its capacity. Quite recently Balakovo NPP successfully completed a similar program.

The experts from Paks and Bohunice – the plants that have already implemented the program — shared their experience with their Russian colleagues.

On Mar 21 the experts summed up the results of their visit. Poliakov said that they would be able to speak about specific results only when Volgodonsk NPP completed the program but it was certainly a fruitful and mutually beneficial visit.
 
Yelena Shedko