AEM Technologies, part of Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom’s engineering division Atomenergomash, said this is the first RPV for the VVER-TOI reactor technology being used for Kursk 2-1 and Kursk 2-2. It was developed from the 1,200 MW AES-2006 pressurised water reactor.
In a nuclear power plant, the RPV is one of the largest reactor components, a vessel containing the nuclear reactor coolant, core shroud, and the reactor core and fuel.
According to a statement, the 340-tonne RPV was tested at pressure levels of 24.5 MPa, about 1.4 times higher than actual operating pressure. The RPV required four welds to assemble in comparison to the six welds needed for the VVER-1200 RPV.
AEM Technologies’ production site is near Volgodonsk in southwest Russia, about 900 km from the Kursk site in western Russia, near the border with Ukraine.
The two new units under construction at the site of the existing Kursk nuclear power station will be the first of the VVER-TOI type to be built. Construction of Kursk 2-1 began in April 2018 and of Kursk 2-2 in April 2019.
Commissioning of Kursk 2-1 and Kursk 2-2 is planned to be synchronised with the decommissioning of Units 1 and 2 at the existing Kursk station after 2021 and 2022.
The existing Kursk station has four RBMK-1000 graphite-moderated nuclear reactor units (LWGRs) that began commercial operation between October 1977 and February 1986.
