Atommash has completed welding of the lower half of the reactor pressure vessel for the Kursk II nuclear power plant under construction in Western Russia, which will be the first to use the VVER-TOI (typical optimised, with enhanced information) design. Atommash is part of Atomenergomash, the engineering division of state nuclear corporation Rosatom.

Kursk II will also be the first Russian nuclear power plant to have a digital automated system for managing costs and scheduling during the construction process. Construction timeframe, costs and operational costs are expected to show a "significant reduction" for the VVER-TOI in comparison to Generation III+ units such as Novovoronezh II units 1 and 2 and Leningrad II units 1 and 2, Rosatom says.

The total weight of the reactor vessel is about 160 tonnes and the welding process was completed within 12 days. Following heat treatment, the structure was inspected and specialists will now apply internal corrosion-resistant surfacing in the welded area.

First concrete for Kursk II unit 1 was poured in April 2018, and that for unit 2 in April last year.

The 1255 MWe VVER-TOI is a Generation III+ power unit was developed using technical results from the VVER-1200 project. The design offers improved safety measures, including an increased margin of safety from extreme impacts and ability to withstand earthquakes, and is equipped with modern control systems and diagnostics.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News