10
NuclearPlantJournal.com Nuclear Plant Journal, May-June 2016
New Energy
Barakah, UAE
The
Emirates Nuclear Energy
Corporation
(ENEC), United Arab
Emirates, announced the completion of
the construction of the concrete dome for
the Unit 2 Reactor Containment Building
(RCB), another major achievement in
the development of the UAE’s nuclear
energy program.
The dome is the final structural
component of the Reactor Containment
Building (RCB), which now measures
more than 70 meters (229.6 feet) in
height. The RCB houses the nuclear
reactor and is a critical structure in the
nuclear plant’s defense-in-depth barriers.
RCBs are extremely robust in design;
with thick concrete walls and heavy
reinforcing steel, they rank among the
strongest structures in the world. They are
designed to confine and contain radiation,
even in the most extreme circumstances.
ENEC’s teams worked closely
with Korea Electric Power Corporation
(KEPCO), Hyundai/Samsung Joint
Venture
(HSJV)
and
Seoyong
Construction throughout the complex
RCB construction process.
The dome, which measures 51.4
meters (168.6 feet) in diameter, 24
meters (78.7 feet) in height and weighs
approximately 9,000 metric tons, has
been constructed in nine stages. The next
phase of work on the RCB will involve
the installation of the containment post
tensioning system, which is used for pre-
stressing the concrete structure, followed
by a three-month structural integrity test.
Contact: Emirates Nuclear Energy
Corporation, telephone: 971 2 659 5555,
email:
.
Vogtle, U.S.A
Georgia Power
announced the latest
milestone in the construction of theVogtle
Plant near Waynesboro, Georgia – the
delivery of the first reactor coolant pump
for the project. Arriving via truck from
Curtiss-Wright Corporation in Cheswick,
Pennsylvania, the reactor coolant pump is
also the first to be delivered to any U.S.
AP1000 construction project. The pump
weighs 187.5 tons, or 375,000 pounds,
and is a critical component of the AP1000
design as it circulates hot primary-circuit
water within the reactor. There are four
reactor coolant pumps needed for each
unit.
Other recent progress at the Vogtle
site includes the safe placement of six
new shield building panels for Unit
3, bringing the total number of panels
installed to date to 20. The shield
building, which encapsulates the Unit 3
containment vessel, is comprised of more
than 160 individual steel panels. The
reinforced individual panels can weigh 10
tons or more and be filled with concrete.
Once fully assembled, the shield building
will provide structural support to the
containment cooling water supply and
protect the containment vessel, which
houses the reactor vessel and associated
equipment.
Contact: Georgia Power, telephone:
404)
506-7676,
website:
www.
georgiapower.com
Novovoronezh, Russia
Core fueling into the VVER-1200
has been started as a part of the physical
innovative power generation unit No.6
start-up program at the Novovoronezh
NPP, Russia. The power plant staff has
embarked on the works as set forth in
the nuclear power plant operation license
issued by Rostechnadzor.
A set of tasks have preceded the first
phase of the physical innovative NPP-
2006 power generation unit start-up.
Specifically, the fuel assembly covers
were transported from the fresh fuel
storage facility into the reactor building;
the equipment was examined and a walk-
through test carried out. On March 24,
2016, the first unit was loaded, with the
active phase starting on March 25, 2016.
The procedure is carried out in
accordance with “The first operating
nuclear core charge” program enacted
by the NPP Chief Engineer and
approved by the launch academic
advisor (R&D Center “Kurchatovskiy
Institute”), Chief reactor assembly
designer (OKB “GIDROPRESS”), AO
“Atomtechenergo”.
Contact: Andrey V. Timonov,
Rosenergoatom
Concern
OJSC
,
telephone: 7 (495) 647-45-76, email:
.
Olkiluoto 3, Finland
Olkiluoto 3 Project, Finland, has
moved one step closer to commissioning.
Teollisuuden Voima Oyj
(TVO)
has submitted an Operating License
application for Olkiluoto 3 nuclear power
plant unit to the Finnish Ministry of
Employment and the Economy (MEE).
TVO expects to obtain the Operating
License towards the end of 2017.
After the license has been granted,
nuclear commissioning will commence.
Regular electricity generation at the plant
unit will begin at the end of 2018.
Contact: Jouni Silvennoinen, TVO,
telephone: 358 9 6180 5216.
Changjiang 2, China
Fuel loading operations are under
way at the second unit of the Changjiang
nuclear power plant, under construction
on China's southern island province of
Hainan. The reactor is expected to begin
operating in late 2016.
The first fuel assembly was loaded
into the core of Changjiang 2. The
milestone means that the unit has
"officially entered the commissioning
phase", the company said.
A total of 121 fuel assemblies will
be loaded into the 650 MWe CNP-600
pressurized water reactor over the coming
days.
The plants being built as a joint
venture between CNNC and China
Huaneng Group. The plant will eventually
comprise four units, with units 3 and 4
housing either CNP-650 or ACP-600
reactors. Construction of both those units
is scheduled to begin by 2018.
Source: World Nuclear News, website:
Workers place new shield building
panel for Vogtle Unit 3.
