Acceptance tests were successfully completed yesterday at unit 2 of the Novovoronezh II nuclear power plant in southwest Russia, Rosatom has announced. The VVER-1200 unit was operated at 100% of its capacity throughout the 15-day procedure.

Russia's Novovoronezh II-2 (Image: Rosatom)

The unit was brought to the minimum controlled power level on 22 March, was first connected to the grid on 1 May and started pilot operation in June. It is expected to be put into commercial operation by year-end.

The acceptance tests were completed on schedule and demonstrated the safe and reliable operation of the unit’s equipment and systems, Vladimir Povarov, director of the Novovoronezh nuclear power plant project, said. The unit has completed nearly five months at all stages of power supply and pilot operation, he added.
The results of the tests will now be submitted to regaulator Rostekhnadzor ahead of receiving an operating licence.

The five units at the existing Novovoronezh nuclear power plant were commissioned between 1964 and 1980. The first and second units were permanently decommissioned in 1988 and 1990. Unit 3 was decommissioned in 2016, while unit four was shut down for modernisation works and has since resumed operation. Unit 5 has recently undergone an upgrade and is licenced to operate until 2035.

Novovoronezh II-2 will be the third VVER-1200 to be commissioned, following Novovoronezh II-1 and Leningrad II-1, which were launched in 2016 and 2017, respectively.

The commissioning of Novovoronezh II-2 will increase the total capacity of the Novovoronezh plant by one-and-a-half times, giving a powerful impetus to the development of the economy of the Voronezh region, Rosatom said.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News

Date: Wednesday, 18 September 2019
Original article: world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Novovoronezh-II-2-passes-acceptance-tests