Preparation of the automated process control system (ASU TP – Avtomatizirovannoi Systemi Upravleniya Telhnologiheskimi Protsessami) is underway at unit 1 of the Akkuyu NPP under construction in Türkiye as part of the pre-commissioning work that precedes physical start-up. Currently, preparations for the ASU TP to test the inner containment (VZO – Vnutrennei Zatsitnoi Obolochki) of the reactor building are being completed. Installation has been completed of automated systems designed to monitor the load on reinforced concrete structures and reinforcing cables, as well as to indicate air leaks during pressure tests of the containment.
The ASU TP systems enable plant personnel to monitor all technological processes that ensure energy generation. Thousands of high‑precision sensors continuously read the technological parameters of the equipment and structures. The data “flow” into the upper‑level unit system, which ensures control and management of all technological processes.
At unit 1, the ASU TP system consists of more than 42,000 pieces of equipment manufactured in accordance with seismic resistance requirements to ensure the safe operation of the plant under any conditions. All installation and commissioning operations were carried out with particular care. At each stage of the work, the foundation was laid for the future reliable and efficient operation of the Akkuyu NPP for decades to come. The production, testing, and supply of control and monitoring systems were carried out by JSC Rosatom Automated Control Systems (RASU), Rosatom’s Automated Control Systems and Electrical Engineering Division.
“The ASU TP at unit 1 is a modern, precise tool for managing a highly complex technological facility, in line with the high requirements and standards adopted in the nuclear industry,” said Sergey Butskikh, Director General of Akkuyu Nuclear. “Entering the stage of preparing the system for pre‑commissioning and adjustment operations is the result of well‑coordinated work by a large number of specialists with different expertise: installers, adjusters, and engineers. Their skills and professionalism give us the green light to take the final steps towards completing the immediate task –carrying out pre‑start operations and ensuring readiness for the physical start‑up of the first power unit of the Akkuyu NPP.”
Akkuyu, Türkiye’s first NPP, will eventually host four Russian-designed VVER-1200 reactors. The pouring of first concrete for unit 1 took place in April 2018, for unit 2 in June 2020, for unit 3 in March 2021, and for unit 4 in July 2022. Rosatom is constructing the reactors according to a build-own-operate model.
