02.10.2018 THE BALAKOVO NPP INFORMATION AND PUBLIC RELATIONS ADMINISTRATION

Rostekhnadzor started testing the power unit No 3 readiness for an additional service life at Balakovo NPP

On 1 October, 2018, the Commission of the Volga Interregional Territorial Administration of the Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service (Rostekhnadzor) has started checking the readiness of the 3rd unit of Balakovo NPP for operation in an additional period.

It is to be recalled that the 3rd unit project life expires on 24 December, 2018. Since its launch in 1988, it has delivered over 198 billion kWh of electric energy into the country's energy system.

The life of the unit is extended in accordance with the Russian State Program of Developing the Nuclear Power Industry Complex and the Program for extending the service life of Rosenergoatom JSC existing power units for 2013–2023.

The inspection will last two weeks and will be conducted in two main areas: compliance of technical documentation and power unit equipment with all the federal requirements in the field of nuclear energy use, and accuracy of substantiating information submitted by Balakovo NPP along with an application for the license.

“In addition to the technical documentation that substantiates the safety of the power unit during the period of additional service life, we will check the implementation of measures for the modernization and replacement of the power unit equipment, as well as the personnel readiness to operate the replaced and modernized equipment. We will inspect the workplaces and technical facilities – from the main control unit to storage facilities for radioactive waste and nuclear fuel”, Aleksandr Gribkov, the Chairman of the Commission, the Deputy Head of the VITA for Nuclear and Radiation Safety Supervision, noted.

“The implementation of the investment project for the power unit No 3 modernization and preparation for additional operation began in 2013”, Sergey Galkin, the Deputy Chief Engineer for Engineering Support and Modernization at Balakovo NPP, emphasized. “During this time, we have developed a report on the in-depth safety assessment, carried out work to assess the technical condition of all systems important to safety, and implemented large-scale measures to modernize and replace system elements. This allowed to substantiate the possibility to extend the unit’s lifetime.”

The final decision on the readiness of the Balakovo NPP power unit No 3 for an additional service life will be made by Rostekhnadzor in December 2018. It will be based on the results of the inspection of the VITA of Rostekhnadzor and the expertise conducted by the Scientific and Technical Center for Nuclear and Radiation Safety.

The Balakovo NPP is an affiliate for the Rosenergoatom Concern OJSC. The plant is located on the left bank of the Saratov water reservoir, 10 kilometers to the north-east from the city of Balakovo, the Saratov Region. The NPP has four power block with modern VVER-1000 reactors (B-320 modification) boasting an electric capacity of 100 megawatts each. The first power block was launched operational in 1985, with the second, the third, and the fourth one being started in 1987, 1988, and 1993 respectively. The Balakovo NPP is one of the biggest and most contemporary power companies in Russia accounting for 25% of the electric power output in the Volga federal district, which caters to the population of the Volga region, the Central region, the Ural, and the Siberia.

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