Following a lengthy international bidding process, Eletrobras-Eletronuclear S.A. has awarded Tecnatom a multiple cycle contract for the performance of Special Inspections and Tests at groups 1 and 2 of Angra nuclear power plant over the next five years. For the performance of this contract, Tecnatom will receive support from the companies Westinghouse Electric and Iberdrola Ingeniería y Construcción.
During the period 2014-2018, which will include eight refuelling outages, Tecnatom will undertake the performance of the non-destructive tests and inspections to be applied to the main components and systems of the primary circuits of the two groups of this Brazilian nuclear power plant. Particularly significant among the most important tasks to be performed are the mechanised ultrasonic inspections of the vessels and internals of both reactors, the eddy current inspection and sludge lancing of the steam generators, the ultrasonic inspection of the main primary circuit piping and components, the diagnosis of motor-operated valves, the maintenance and testing of snubbers, the integrated leak testing of the containment of group 2 and the visual inspection of the main pumps, pressuriser and steam generators of group 2, among other operations.
The achievement of this contract rounds off a year, 2013, in which the foundations were laid for a strategy of long-term consolidation of the presence of the Tecnatom Group in Brazil. In this respect, mention may be made of the fact that during 2013 the Tecnatom Group has also achieved several contracts in that country, particularly significant being the design, manufacturing and supply of a passive scanner for the nuclear fuel manufacturing facility of INB (Industrias Nucleares do Brasil), the periodic safety review at Angra 1 and the development and application of training programmes for the operators and other professionals of Angra NPP groups 1 and 2.
These four new contracts are added to and will go on from the fifteen service contracts carried out throughout 2013, among which special mention might be made of the supply of a full-scope simulator and the control room design review for Angra 1, the training of operating personnel, the verification and validation of plant modifications, revision of the operating procedures or the inspection of thimbles, control rods, turbine rotors and primary circuit piping, as well as the inspection and repair of the KBA 02 heat exchanger at Angra 2.
