Construction starts in Russia and China

25 June 2010

Construction has started on two new nuclear power plants this week, making a total of 60 nuclear reactors currently under construction. First concrete was poured for Russia’s Rostov 4 (formerly known as Volgodonsk) on 22 June and was completed at China’s fourth AP1000, Haiyang unit 2 on the same date.

At Haiyang, which is being built by China’s State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation, concreting started on 20 June and was completed on 22 June after just over 40 hours. In total 5112 cubic meters of concrete was poured.

Haiyang 2 is China’s fourth AP1000 to begin construction, joining unit 1 at the same site and Sanmen 1&2 in Zhejiang province. The first of these units Sanmen 1 started construction in April 2009 and is due to come online in August 2013.

Meanwhile, project manager of Rostov 4 described the concrete pour as “an indication that the Russian nuclear industry is reviving flowing construction of nuclear power.” By 22 June over 300 cubic meters of concrete had been poured four the foundations of Rostov 4.

Rostov nuclear power plant is located on the shore of the reservoir in Tsimlyansk, 13.5km from the city of Volgodonsk. In December 2009, Rostov 2 started up joining Rostov 1, a 1000MW VVER-1000 that has been operating commercially since 2001. Currently construction of Rostov 3&4 is being carried out by general contractor, Atomenergoproekt. About 3000 people are working on site and over 30 contractors are involved in the project.

Non-GDA issues for the AP1000 from Environment Agency consultation document

a) The capability to include boron recycle in the AP1000 design shall be kept under review and a best available techniques (BAT) assessment provided at site specific
permitting to demonstrate whether boron recycling represents BAT.
b) Detailed arrangements for the hand over between Westinghouse and future operators shall be provided at site specific permitting, in particular with respect to matters that relate to the use of BAT to minimise radioactive discharges.
c) The suitability and availability of appropriate mobile equipment for waste which is not compatible with the aqueous radioactive waste system shall be demonstrated at site specific permitting.
d) Information relating to the provision of secondary containment for the monitor tanks shall be provided at site specific permitting.
e) A detailed and robust justification of options for carbon-14 abatement in radioactive waste discharges shall be provided at site specific permitting.
f) Providing evidence at site permitting that specific arrangements for minimising the disposals of low level waste and intermediate level radioactive waste for each site
represent BAT.
g) Disposability of intermediate level radioactive waste (ILW) following longer-term interim storage pending disposal.
h) The monitoring of gaseous, aqueous and solid discharges and disposals of radioactive waste.
i) Waste from construction activities shall be included in the waste strategy for each site at site specific permitting.

Non-GDA issues for the EPR from Environment Agency consultation document

a) The changes to the reference case for the site-specific strategy and evidence that the site-specific strategy achieves the same objectives shall be provided at site- specific permitting.
b) Zinc injection as an option for the UK EPR to aid corrosion control.
c) Assessment of the removal of secondary neutron sources (to further minimise creation of tritium) when EPR operational information becomes available.
d) Review of the Best Available Techniques (BAT) assessment on the minimisation of the production of activated corrosion products, where possible improvements were identified in the PCER.
e) Providing the design of certain discharge tanks with associated demonstration of BAT for size and leak-tight construction.
f) Providing a BAT assessment to demonstrate that controls on the fuel pool minimise the discharge of tritium to air.
g) The sizing of filters and the demineralisation system in the liquid waste processing system.
h) Disposability of intermediate level radioactive waste (ILW) following longer term interim storage pending disposal.
i) If smelting of any low level waste (LLW) is pursued at site-specific permitting, demonstrating that the conditions of acceptance of any available smelting facilities can be met.
j) If incineration is pursued at site-specific permitting for certain waste streams, demonstrating that the conditions of acceptance of any available incineration facilities can be met.
k) Evidence at site-specific permitting that specific arrangements for minimising low and intermediate level radioactive waste (LLW and ILW) exist.
l) The monitoring of gaseous, aqueous and solid discharges and disposals of radioactive waste.

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