Russia’s ZiO-Podolsk (part of Atomenergomash, the mechanical engineering division of Rosatom) has manufactured and shipped equipment for unit 2 of the Rooppur NPP in Bangladesh, Atomenergomash said on 3 March. The shipment of large-sized items included the fourth separator-superheater SPP-1200 and the second high-pressure heater PVD-K-5 for the turbine hall. The SPP-1200 is designed for drying and superheating of wet steam after the high-pressure cylinder of the turbine. It is shipped in three parts: a separator weighing 41 tons, a first stage superheater (86 tons), and a second stage superheater (105 tons).
The high-pressure heater PVD-K-5 is a large-sized product over 11 metres long and weighing 120 tons. It performs the function of heating the feed water supplied to the steam generator. The total weight of the shipped products was 350 tons. The equipment has a 50-year service life. The design documentation was developed by specialists of the Department of Nuclear Engineering Equipment of ZiO-Podolsk, they also provide author support for the manufacture.
Rooppur NPP is being built by Rosatom with two VVER-1200 reactors. Rooppur 1 is currently scheduled to start operating 2023, followed by Rooppur 2 a year later. The reactor pressure vessel for the first unit was delivered to the Rooppur construction site in November and the reactor internals were shipped in January. Atomenergomash is the supplier of all equipment for the reactor compartment and a significant part of the equipment for the turbine hall.
Specialists of the subcontractors Trust RosSEM, Roin World and Energospecmontazh have completed installation of two polar crane beams on the track at Rooppur 1, General Contractor for NPP construction, Atomstroyexport (ASE), said on 1 March. These are the main metal structures of the crane, which will be used for the transportation and installation of the main technological equipment of the containment area (reactor vessel, steam generators, pressure compensator). The beams of the polar crane were installed using a Liebherr heavy crawler crane in the reactor building, at an elevation of more than 38.5 metres.
“The installation of these heavy structures required complex and well-coordinated work by the subcontractors,” said Yuri Koshelev, deputy director for project management at ASE’s Bangladesh branch. “The specialists of Roin World prepared the access road for lifting the beams by the crane, the specialists of Trust RossEM completed the installation of containment lobes for the installation of the rail track in the shortest possible time, and the specialists of Energospecmontazh carried out the final operation – the installation of the beams on the rails."
Currently, work is underway to install structures and crane mechanisms on the crane runways. It is planned to complete the installation of the polar crane in June after which installation of large-sized and heavy equipment of the reactor plant will begin. After the NPP is put into operation, the crane will be used for repair work and fuel transportation.
Meanwhile, Russian regulator Rostechnadzor is assisting in the development of the regulatory framework in Bangladesh. Deputy Head of Rostekhnadzor Alexey Ferapontov, was in Bangladesh in early March for a working visit, including talks with the Chairman of BAERA (Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority) Muzammel Haq and inspection of the NPP construction work.