At Rostov NPP (the town of Volgodonsk, a branch of Rosenergoatom Concern, a part of Electric Energy Division of Rosatom) the work on putting the new power unit No 4 into pilot operation is in the progress. At the present time, the nuclear specialists carry out the equipment testing at the various working conditions, as well as the turbine adjustment.

“After the testing – foreseen by the power start-up program – is completed, we will proceed to the program of putting into the pilot operation”, the Deputy Chief Engineer on operation of Rostov NPP Phase II Svyatoslav Chukavin noted.

The program of pilot operation stage includes the gradual increase of the unit’s power up to nominal level of 100% and completion of a number of system testing and testing of the power unit in general in steady and transient conditions. The results of the testing will prove the reliability and safety of the new power unit No 4 design parameters.

It is to be recalled that on 1 February, 2018 the final stage of the power start-up was completed when the power unit was to operate for 4 hours at the power level of 40% (electric capacity of 300 MW) and shut down for the equipment inspection and characteristics confirmation. The unit successfully operated for 4 hours at the electric power level of 300 MW and was shut down at 11 p.m. During this substage all the electric characteristics were proved.

At the present, before the start of pilot operation stage - when the electric power will gradually be increased up to 1,000 MW - the specialists work on the vibration alignment of the turbine generator under control of the chiefs from manufacturing plant. Vibration alignment of the turbine generator is a regular operation for any electric power plant. It is followed by the turbine generator shutdown, flyweight positioning at the turbine elements, and the subsequent start-up and characteristics measurement.

As the representative of Rostekhnadzor Department at Rostov NPP stated, the power unit No 4 start-up is carried under the supervision of the inspection body of Rostekhnadzor – Nuclear and Radiation Safety Inspection Department at Rostov NPP. “There are no violations of the Federal norms and rules in the field of nuclear power use during the starting operations including during the vibratory condition adjustment of the turbine generator”, the expert emphasized.

With the power unit No 4 put into industrial operation Rostov NPP will be included into the top ten regions – the leaders in the volume of electric energy generation in the country.