Spain-based engineering firm Tecnatom has won a five-year contract for non-destructive testing of principal primary circuit components at Angra 1&2.
Inspections include 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 unit 2 and the visual inspection of the main pumps, pressuriser and steam generators. For the contract, Tecnatom will be supported by Westinghouse Electric and Iberdrola Ingeniería y Construcción.
Tecnatom recently announced that it has won a contract for work at Mexico's Laguna Verde nuclear power plant, where it will work on the diagnosis of motor and air-operated valves, and for the maintenance and functional testing of snubbers. The work will be carried out during March and April, at unit 1, and June and July at unit 2. During the project, a total of 112 motor-operated valves and 15 air-operated valves will be diagnosed. In addition, maintenance and testing of the snubber will include 250 such components.
In 2013, the company also won a contract for 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 1 and 2.
The company has also carried out a full-scope simulator and control room design review for Angra 1, 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, the inspection and repair of the KBA 02 heat exchanger at Angra 2, and training of operations personnel.
Tecnatom, which offers automated NDT inspection, condition monitoring, engineering support and operational support services, has subsidiary offices in Spain, Brazil, China and France.
Photo: Angra nuclear power plant in Brazil
