Prior to RPV installation, the «core catcher» was mounted at Unit 1, concreting of the support and thrust trusses was carried out, and dry shielding and thermal insulation of the reactor vessel cylindrical part were installed.
The installation required special preparation of the on-site roads in order to transport the RPV to Unit 1 construction area.
After filling and leveling the roads along the entire route, a special wheeled platform freely passed the way from the equipment temporary storage site to Unit 1 building site.
Then, using a Liebherr LR 13000 self-propelled crawler crane with a lifting capacity of up to 3 000 tons, the RPV with a mass of 330 tons, diameter of 4.5 m and height of 12 m was set to the upright position, lifted above the reactor compartment and installed in its regular place in the reactor shaft.
Sergei Butckikh, 1st Deputy CEO of Akkuyu Nuclear, said:
- The installation of the reactor pressure vessel of Unit 1 is one of the main events within this year
- On April 21, we mounted a support ring on which the reactor vessel is installed
- It is a structural element of the reactor plant, designed to secure the vessel, keep it from horizontal and vertical displacements when exposed to loads
- And now the reactor vessel has been installed in the design position
- Completing of the RPV installation will allow us to continue work on the reactor shaft construction
It enables to combine construction and installation operations in the best way possible and thus to start the equipment installation and pipelines assembly before the completion of the floors concreting.
The technology has successfully proven itself at many NPP construction projects in China, Japan, Bulgaria and Russia, including the construction of the Leningrad NPP-2 power units with VVER-1200 reactors.
After the RPV installation, construction workers will proceed with concreting the reactor shaft, install bearings for the Main Circulation Pipeline components and steam generators.
After the installation of steam generators and casings of the reactor coolant pump set, it will be possible to start welding of the MCP, which connects the main equipment of the NPP primary circuit.
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