November 10, 2020, Mersin - Equipment of major importance for Power Unit 1 – the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) – has been delivered to the Akkuyu NPP site, having covered a distance of 3,000 kilometers. The RPV is large-size equipment, which, at the NPP operation stage, accommodates nuclear fuel, and where a nuclear reaction involving liberation of a high amount of heat takes place under high pressure.
The RPV, which weighs 330 tons, and is 4.5 m in diameter and 12 meters high, was manufactured at Atommash, the Volgodonsk branch of JSC AEM-technology. The manufacture took nearly three years. More than 750 production operations were carried out during the production of the reactor pressure vessel. The RPV for Akkuyu NPP and its parts successfully passed more than 300 quality control tests at various stages of manufacture. It took 20 days to deliver the RPV from the special quay of JSC Atommash at Tsimlyanskoye Reservoir to the Eastern Cargo Terminal at the Akkuyu NPP site.
"Construction and installation works at Akkuyu NPP site are progressing at a very good pace; Some key structural components have been mounted in the first power unit - the second tier of the internal containment, the cantilever truss and the supporting truss; the corium collecting and cooling device and the reactor dry shielding have been installed as per design position. The main equipment is delivered to the site according to schedule: in late September, four steam generators for Power Unit 1 were delivered to the Eastern Cargo Terminal; today we are receiving the core of the first power unit of the NPP - the nuclear reactor pressure vessel. The vessel complete with the thrust and support rings has covered a distance of nearly 3 thousand kilometers from JSC AEM-Technology branch Atommash in Volgodonsk to the site of Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant – the first NPP in Turkey. Upon completion of all necessary customs procedures, the reactor pressure vessel will pass the incoming inspection", said Sergei Butckikh - First Deputy Chief Executive Officer - Director of the NPP under construction.
According to all regulatory requirements, the reactor vessel will be subject to incoming inspection. A special commission, which has been established for this purpose, will check the completeness and quality of engineering and accompanying documentation, and will perform a thorough inspection of the item itself using various equipment. As the next step, the reactor pressure vessel will be handed over for installation.
The Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NRA) and independent inspection organizations accredited by it conducted inspections and checks at all stages of manufacture of the reactor pressure vessel at Atommash plant. All work on the site are also being carried out under the supervision of the NRA and independent inspection organizations accredited by the Authority within the scope of the Inspection Activity Plan.
Last month, four steam generators for the first power unit have been delivered to the construction site from Atommash plant.