08.05.2018
NOVOVORONEZH NPP INFORMATION AND PUBLIC RELATIONS ADMINISTRATION
The reactor vessel has been annealed at the power unit No 4 of Novovoronezh NPP
At Novovoronezh NPP, the specialists have completed one of the key operations of the stage of the 4th unit modernization – reactor vessel annealing.
This procedure allows to restore the properties of the reactor metal, which has been exposed to high temperatures, hard ionizing radiation and neutron fields’ influence for a long time.
With the help of a special construction, the reactor vessel is heated to 475 degrees Celsius, held in such state for 150 hours, and then slowly cooled. After that, the structure of the metal completely restores its properties, which increases the operation period by 10-30 years.
It has been scientifically proven that this procedure can be repeated many times.
The technology was first used in 1987 at the power unit No 3 of Novovoronezh NPP. “This was the first experimental experience. It was we who created and tested the equipment for the recovery annealing. Now this procedure is carried out at all power units, which service life is supposed to be extended. The annealing plant is unique and can anneal all the reactors of the VVER-440 series”, Andrey Meremyanin, the Deputy Chief Engineer for Operation of the Phase II of Novovoronezh NPP, noted.
In total, there are 6 power units built with such design in Russia – two at Novovoronezh NPP and four at Kola NPP, and 29 power units in other countries – in Armenia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, and Finland.
The Novovoronezh nuclear power plant is a branch of the Rosenergoatom. The station is located on the bank of the Don River in 42 km to the south of Voronezh. It is the Russia's first nuclear power plant with VVER reactors (water-to-water power reactors of case type with regular water under pressure). Each of five reactors of the station can be a main one – a prototype of serial power reactors: the power unit No. 1 with the VVER-210 reactor, the power unit No. 2 with the VVER-365 reactor, the No. 3, 4 power units with the VVER-440 reactors, the power unit No. 5 with the VVER-1000 reactor. The first power unit was launched in 1964, the second – in 1969, third – in 1971, fourth – 1972, fifth – 1980. There are three power units (power units No.1, 2 were stopped in 1984 and 1990 respectively) in work at the moment.
The power units Nos 1 and 2 were stopped in 1984 and 1990, respectively. The power unit No 3 was stopped in 2016 for decommissioning activities. The power unit No 1 of Novovoronezh NPP-2 was commissioned on 27 February, 2017. The power unit No 2 of Novovoronezh NPP-2 is in the middle of construction and installation works; its commissioning is planned for 2018.
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