The installation took place on 9 September and lasted 16 hours. This is one of the key operations of the year.
From early morning, TITAN-2 specialists prepared the structure for installation in its final position. Teams of welders, fitters and slingsmen were working smoothly and efficiently for several hours. The installation of the large structure, approximately 10 metres high and 44 metres in diameter, took 16 hours.
The structure consists of 24 massive segments, with a total weight of 150 tons. It was manufactured by specialists from the PJSC «NBD» («SUS») at Construction Base No. 1 in Sosnovy Bor. From there, the containment sections were already delivered to the LNPP-2 site for pre-assembly.
To install this massive structure, a Zoomlion ZCC32000 caterpillar crane with a lifting capacity of 2,000 tons was delivered to the site. Under the guidance of Chinese supervising engineers, the UMIAT LLC employees have meticulously prepared the equipment and the site for this critical operation.
The inner containment is a key component of the reactor building. It is designed to ensure the reactor compartment being hermetically sealed and protected from any external influences.
Konstantin Khudyakov, JSC CONCERN TITAN-2 Leningrad NPP Construction Program Director:
«We have completed the installation of the first tier of the inner containment in its designated location efficiently and on time. We plan to continue working at the same pace, maintaining a high standard of construction and installation. Along with the inner containment, we will also be constructing the second, outer, one. It will protect the reactor and its associated equipment from external influences, both natural and anthropogenic. These works will start no later than this year.»
In the near future, the builders will begin welding the inner containment tier to the underlying horizontal lining, and construct leak-tight penetrations for pipelines and electrical cables. After reinforcing the first tier of the containment on the outside, it will be concreted.
At the next stages, TITAN-2 will manufacture, assemble, and install the remaining tiers of the cylindrical and domed sections of the inner containment. It will also install the latter’s pre-stressing system.
The result will be a complex engineering structure that will securely enclose the reactor plant and be capable of withstanding significant loads, including the structure’s own weight, internal excess pressure and high temperatures, loads from mobile lifting and handling equipment, earthquakes, etc.
For information:
The TITAN-2 Holding is a Russian group of companies that builds nuclear facilities. Organisations of the Holding perform the whole cycle of works, from development of basic design documentation to facility commissioning.
The TITAN-2 Holding is the general contractor for construction of the new power units of the Leningrad NPP. At the construction site, the organisations of the Holding perform all civil construction, installation, and electric installation works.
The Holding participates in the construction of Akkuyu NPP in Turkey, Paks II NPP in Hungary and El-Dabaa NPP in Egypt.