Welding has begun of the baseplate of the Brest-OD-300 reactor, under construction as part of the pilot demonstration power complex (ODEK), at the Siberian Chemical Combine (SCC, part of Rosatom’s Fuel Company TVEL). This signals the start of pre-assembly of the base plate. Two parts of the steel plate, with a total weight of 158 tons, have been placed on a slipway and general contractor JSC Titan-2 is now welding the two parts together.
For the base plate, a combined welding method has been chosen - from above it is performed semi-automatically and from below manual welding is used. The work is carried out by highly qualified welders under constant temperature control, which is maintained automatically. A total of 14 root sutures must be made. Welding of the two sections should be completed by the end of December. Ultrasonic testing of the welds will then be carried out, as well as other types of testing specified by the working design documentation.
After the installation of additional structural elements, the base plate will be installed in the reactor shaft, where it will perform the functions of balancing the loads on the foundation from the elements of the Brest-OD-300 reactor vessel. Together with the shell, the base plate will also create an additional sealing contour for the structure. Installation of the plate in the reactor shaft is scheduled for 2023.
The base plate was delivered to the ODEK construction site in September 2022 using the Northern Sea Route from St Petersburg. The plate, which when completed will have a diameter of 21.7 metres and a thickness of 300 mm, is first of a kind.
Since 2011, SCC has been responsible for implementing the ODEK facility as part of the Breakthrough (Proryv) project intended to demonstrate closed fuel cycle technology. ODEK will include a module for fabrication and refabrication of nuclear fuel and a module for reprocessing irradiated fuel as well as the Brest reactor.
