MINSK, 6 October (BelTA) – A reactor pressure vessel is supposed to be delivered to the Belarusian nuclear power plant in late October 2016, BelTA learned from the website of AEM Technologies Company (part of Atomenergomash, which is the mechanical engineering division of the Russian state corporation Rosatom).
According to the source, a VVER-1200 reactor pressure vessel for the Belarusian nuclear power plant has passed hydraulic testing successfully. The vessel was placed on the test bench using a crane with the lifting capacity of 600 tonnes. Specifically prepared water was used to create pressure as high as 24.5MPa inside the reactor vessel. The tests confirmed the strength of the base metal and the welded seams.
As the next step reactor parts will be put inside the vessel. The reactor pressure vessel will be fully assembled just the way it is supposed to be as part of a nuclear power plant. Plans have been made to ship the reactor to the Belarusian nuclear power plant in late October.
The reactor is a vertical cylinder with an elliptical bottom. The reactor core and the internal components are located inside. The reactor is covered by a hermetically sealed top.
The Belarusian nuclear power plant is a project to build a VVER-1200 type nuclear power plant 18km away from Ostrovets, Grodno Oblast. The BelNPP will have two power-generating units with the total output capacity of up to 2,400MW (2x1,200MW).