Petrozavodsk Branch of JSC “AEM-technology” (part of Atomenergomash, the machine-building division of the Rosatom State Corporation) has finished the assembly of spherical casings of reactor coolant pumps (RCP) for Rooppur NPP, Unit 1. All welding and assembly operations have been completed, weld joints passed all necessary tests successfully.
After assembly works are completed, the RCP casings are subjected to heat treatment in order to release residual stresses after welding. The items are heated up to 640 degrees in a furnace and held for 7-8 hours.
RCP casings are safety class 1 items. At a nuclear plant a reactor coolant pump ensures coolant circulation from the reactor to steam generators and operates under pressure of 160 atmospheres and temperature of 300 degrees. Weight of one casing is more than 31 tons with height of 3.5 m and width more than 3 m. A scope of supply for one power unit includes four RCP spherical casings.
The Rooppur NPP with two VVER-1200 reactors of total capacity 2400 MW from the Russian design is under construction in 160 km from Dhaka – the capital of Bangladesh. A Russian design with VVER-1200 reactors successfully implemented at Novovoronezh-2 NPP Unit 1 was selected for the first NPP in Bangladesh. This is an evolutionary GenIII+ design which entirely meets all international safety requirements. JSC “Atomenergomash” is the single-source manufacturer for the Rooppur NPP reactor room and a supplier for much of the turbine island equipment. The division's branches produce reactors, steam generators, pumping and heat-exchanging equipment.
