Italy-based Ansaldo Nucleare has won an engineering procurement and construction (EPC) contract to complete the final phase of a safety upgrade programme at Slovenia’s Krško nuclear power plant.
Krško, a 725MW pressurised water reactor, started operating in October 1981. It is Slovenia’s only commercial reactor, supplying around 35% of the country’s electricity in 2016.
As part of a long-term operations plan, Krško is carrying out a three-phase safety upgrade programme to address the safety implications highlighted by the Fukushima Daiichi accident in March 2011.
The contract scope includes the design and realisation of a bunkered building and its auxiliary systems (HVAC, fire, lighting, etc.), as well as the design, procurement, installation and commissioning of an alternate safety injection system, an alternate emergency feedwater system and an emergency electrical system.
Ansaldo Nucleare will act as the main contractor, supported by Belgium's Tractebel Engineering and qualified Slovenian and Croatian companies for the project. These include Kolektor CPG, which will be involved in the civil construction activities, IBE-Sipro-Ekonerg to support detailed design activities, Elmont for electrical installations and Numip for mechanical installations.
The work is due to be completed by December 2021.
"This project is significant for future operation of the Krško NPP,” said Stanislav Rožman, President of the Krško NPP Management Board. “By implementing the Safety Upgrade Programme, the long-term operations regulatory requirements will be met, and the plant will be ready for continuous operation."
Photo: Slovenia's Krško nuclear power plant
