03.09.2012
On August 30 at 18.47 local time at Bushehr NPP (the Islamic Republic of Iran) within the framework of the energetic start-up the reactor plant of power unit №1 was risen to 100% design power.
According to Vladimir Pavlov, OJSC NIAEP Deputy Director for NPP construction in Iran and Turkey, it is a final stage of the power unit commissioning in the course thereof the equipment and systems will be tested on the design level of electric power.
Vladimir Pavlov emphasized that the main priority during NPP construction is always safety, that’s why the power ascension by the reactor plant was carried out by stages, with necessary tests of the plant equipment for its further safe operation.
Bushehr NPP construction complies in full to the current international regulations, legislation, non-proliferation regime, and is implemented under IAEA control.
According to Igor Mezenin, JSC ASE Head of Department for NPP construction in Iran, who managed the Iranian site for more than five years, 100% design power was reached by the unique facility having no analogues in the world practice of nuclear plant construction.
“Our atomic specialists managed to integrate Russian equipment into the construction part implemented under German design and, besides, to apply nearly 12 tons of German equipment, - pointed out Igor Mezenin. – Huge work was performed for assessment of the condition and operability of German equipment, buildings and structures. The designers had to develop and apply a number of original technical know-how in order to adapt Russian technologies to the powers already available at the site”.
Thus, in Busherh NPP design the main equipment of the Nuclear Island and the turbine of Russian manufacture was used. At that, the buildings of the plant are of German design, and in order to install Russian VVER reactor the designers had to relayout the reactor compartment. In order to make it possible to install the turbine in the turbine hall designed and constructed by the concern Kraftwerk Union A.G., the turbine design was changed.
Information:
The merged company OJSC NIAEP – CJSC ASE is completing Bushehr NPP construction commenced in 1974 by German concern Kraftwerk Union A.G. (Siemens/KWU). In 1980 the concern canceled the contract with the Iranian customer due to decision of the German government to join American embargo for equipment supplies to Iran.
On August 24, 1992 the government of the Russian Federation and the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran signed the agreement concerning cooperation in peaceful use of atomic energy, and on August 25, 1992 a contract was concluded for construction of the nuclear power plant in Iran. In January 1995 a contract was signed for completion of construction of Bushehr NPP unit №1. In 1998 a supplement to the contract was signed, according thereto CJSC Atomstroyexport completes the construction, on a “turn-key” basis, of the 1-st unit with installed electric power of 1000 MWt with the reactor plant V-446. Since 2012 the project has been implemented by efforts of the merged company OJSC NIAEP – CJSC ASE.
Actually the construction of Bushehr NPP by the Russian party was started in 1998. The supply of the main technological equipment to the NPP was started in 2001. The hydraulic tests of the NPP equipment and the steel containment tests were performed in 2009-2010. In July 2010 the hot run of the nuclear steam generation system was carried out. On August 21, 2010 the physical start-up of Bushehr NPP was commenced: under control of IAEA inspectors the fresh fuel was delivered to the reactor compartment of Bushehr NPP. On May 8, 2011 at Bushehr NPP the works were performed for rising the nuclear steam generation system to the minimum controlled level of power. Since the beginning of these works, a self-maintaining fission reaction of the nuclear fuel was launched in the reactor core of the power unit №1 of the first nuclear power plant in Iran. On September 5, 2011 at Bushehr NPP the synchronization was performed, as well as the generator connection to the grid at the power of 65 MW. The first kilowatts of the electric power were supplied to the power grid of Iran.
