Atomstroyexport completed Tianwan NPP first stage construction

On September 12, 2007, at 14.30 msk, a Provisional Acceptance Protocol for the second unit of TNPP was signed at the construction site by Mr. Jiang Guoyuan, a General Manager of Jiangsu Nuclear Power Corporation and Mr. Alexander Nechaev, Head of JSC ASE Division for NPP construction in China.

That marks an official fulfillment of JSC Atomstroyexport contractual liabilities on the construction and commissioning of the first stage of TNPP. Both units show stable operation at 100% power, generating energy for the Jiangsu province.

From now, the Unit 2 enters a two-year guarantee operation period. Pursuant to the arrangements between Chinese and Russian parties, the JSC ASE specialists will oversee each TNPP unit in operation, following two years after their deployment. The Unit 1 guarantee operation period saw its start on June 4, 2007 after signing the respective Protocol.

The event stands for a well-deserved victory of Russian nuclear scientists, coming as a proof for quality and reliability of Russian nuclear technologies. Atomstroyexport, as a General Contractor for the Project, managed to secure implementation of such a large facility after long years of break in nuclear power plants construction. Currently, Atomstroyexport is the only company in the world enjoying actual reference design of a modern NPP.

Tianwan NPP represents a vivid example of cooperation on a mutually-beneficial basis between the two countries in the field of nuclear power engineering. As a result of the project implementation, China got a safe nuclear power plant, as well as sufficient number of trained maintenance and operation personnel. Russia, in its turn, was able to engage its nuclear power industry and demonstrate that companies and organization forming the basis of the Russian nuclear power field, enjoy considerable potential and actual resources for implementation of challenging and important nuclear power projects.

The TNPP construction involved such companies as Saint-Petersburg-based Atomenergoproekt - TNPP General Designer, OKB Gidropress - a reactor plant designer, RSC Kurchatov Institute - a scientific consultant for the Project, as well as Izhora Plants, Power Machines plants and other enterprises that manufacture NPP equipment. Altogether, over 150 Russian organizations were engaged in the Project implementation.

Each TNPP Unit houses VVER-1000/428 upgraded reactor plant with enhanced neutron physics properties and emergency protection efficiency, featuring four-channel safety system and a number of devices and systems that make the TNPP project unique.

The reactor building has double containment: the inner shell prevents the radioactive exposure of the environment, while the outer one shields the reactor from negative external impact.

A special device for a molten core retention and cooldown is located under a reactor vessel. In case of emergency the molten core will be trapped by the localization device, thus averting the destruction of the reactor building foundation. The device enjoys unique engineering solutions and finds no match in the global NPP construction practice. TNPP became the first plant featuring such a device. The latter has been developed by Russian scientists and has successfully undergone verification by Russian and Chinese Regulatory agencies and is approved by the IAEA.

The successful completion of TNPP first stage allows Russian nuclear engineers to strengthen their position in the global NPP construction market.

Chronology, TNPP Unit 2

March 16, 2007 - fuel loading (physical start-up), with 163 fuel assemblies loaded .

May 1, 2007 - reactor is brought to minimum control level triggering the controlled chain reaction.

May 14, 2007 - unit connection to China's power grid.

July 11, 2007 - reactor plant is brought to 100% of its rated capacity.

August 16, 2007 - start of operation in industrial mode.

August 24, 2007 - the first billion of kilowatt-hours produced.

September 12, 2007 - official commissioning of Unit to the Chinese Customer.

JSC Atomstroyexport - is a leading Russian company, implementing intergovernmental agreements for the construction of nuclear power objects abroad. After commissioning Tianwan NPP in China, Atomstroyexport pursues its liabilities on the construction of Kudankulam NPP in India, Bushehr NPP in Iran and Belene NPP in Bulgaria.

SOURCE: JSC Atomstroyexport

DATE: September 30, 2007

Topics: Russia, Atomstroyexport, NPP, China, Asia