The installation of the second tier of the reactor building’s internal containment has been completed at unit 3 of Turkey’s first nuclear power plant (NPP), being constructed at Akkuyu with the assistance of the Russian state atomic energy corporation Rosatom.
The internal containment (IC) is one of the main components of the nuclear power plant’s safety system, according to a Rosatom release earlier this week.
“The containment was installed by the pre-assembly method, which permits saving on its construction time. The IC second tier is a metal structure composed of 24 assembly blocks or grades. The total weight of the pre-assembled tier constitutes more than 330 tons, with a diameter of more than 20 metres”, the statement said.
The second containment tier installation took about 7 hours. The height of the unit 3 reactor building increased by 12 metres after installation, and it reached the level of 16.9 metres, the statement added.
“IC is an important element of the reactor compartment. It ensures nuclear and environmental safety, being one of the largest structural elements of the reactor building. The next construction stage of the leak-tight dome in the reactor building is the construction of the IC third tier. But before that, we should perform reinforcing and concreting works and install special formwork on the second tier”, said the Akkuyu NPP’s Director of Construction, Sergei Butckikh.
Rosatom said that in addition to the reactor building internal containment, the work involves construction of the external containment required to protect the reactor plant equipment from any external impacts.
“Construction and installation works at the Akkuyu NPP site are ongoing at all sections of the main and auxiliary facilities — four power units, onshore hydraulic structures, power evacuation systems, administrative buildings, training center, and physical protection facilities of the future NPP”, the statement said.
The building and installation work of all four Akkuyu NPP power units being carried out simultaneously makes it the world’s largest nuclear construction site. All the units are to be equipped with the state-of-the-art Generation III plus VVER-1200 reactors fitted with both active and passive safety systems.
Turkey plans to bring the 1,200 MW unit 1 online in 2023. With the commissioning of three more similar units, the Akkuyu NPP will have a total capacity of 4,800 MW, which is expected to meet around 10 percent of the country’s electricity needs.
