25 Mar (NucNet): Several construction milestones have been achieved at both nuclear units under construction at Russia’s Leningrad 2 nuclear power station, Russian state nuclear company Rosatom has said.
Two of the four main circulation pumps, with a weight of 56 metric tonnes each, have been installed at Unit 1 and the remaining two pumps will be installed before the end of 2014.
The pumps are part of the main reactor equipment for the circulation of coolant in the primary circuit and removing heat from the reactor core.
Also at Unit 1, the upper part of the inner containment dome was pre-assembled. After the dome is installed and covered in concrete, installation will begin of pipework for the containment sprinkler system.
Rosatom also said the walls of the Unit 1 spent fuel pool have been completed. The walls are made from heavy concrete with the addition of lead, which protects personnel from ionising radiation as well as increasing the walls’ strength and water resistance.
At Unit 2, the installation of reinforcing blocks for the second tier of the inner containment building was completed. This brought the containment to a height of 22.2 metres from 9.4 metres.
Construction of the first unit (Leningrad 2-1) began in 2008 and the second (Leningrad 2-2) in 2010. Both units are of the AES-2006 VVER pressurised water reactor (PWR) design.
Rosatom has said a further two reactors are planned for the site.
The new units are being constructed on the site of the A. P. Alexandrov Research Institute of Technology (NITI), which is involved in designing and testing nuclear power and propulsion reactors.
The units are needed because the existing four units at Leningrad are due to be decommissioned between 2019 and 2026.
The existing Leningrad plant and NITI are on neighbouring sites on the Baltic Sea in the St Petersburg region of northwestern Russia.
