A polar crane, with a carrying capacity of 390 tons, has been installed at unit 2 of Russians Kursk-II NPP.

Specialists of JSC Energy Special Installation (ESI) lifted and installed the polar crane bridge on rail tracks at around 38.18 metres using a heavy tracked Liebherr crane with a lifting capacity of 1350 tons. “During the construction of the nuclear power plant, the polar crane is involved in numerous operations for the installation of elements of the construction part and equipment of the sealed zone of the reactor building: reactor vessel, steam generators, pressure compensator. And after the start of industrial operation of the power unit, it will carry out transport and technological operations during scheduled preventive repairs of the power unit,” explained the first deputy director for the construction of new blocks of the Kursk NPP Andrei Osharin.

By optimising the installation process of the polar crane bridge assembly along with balancers, as well as applying a number of improvement proposals aimed at reducing the process time, the installation of the polar crane was carried out ahead of schedule over six days said Mikhail Pinchuk, Director General of ESI. The polar crane was manufactured at the plant of JSC Tyazhmash in the city of Syzran.

Kursk-II 1&2 are being built according to the VVER-TOI project (standard optimised informatised pressurised water power reactor), which is a development of the VVER-1200 reactor design with increased capacity and improved technical and economic indicators. Kursk II is intended as a replacement station for the currently operating Kursk NPP, which comprises four RBMK reactors.

Image: The yellow beams of Kursk II-2's newly installed polar crane (courtesy of Kursk NPP)