AtomEnergoProekt wins Volgodonsk tender

03 June 2009

Nizhniy Novgorod AtomEnergoProekt (NN-AEP) has won the tender as principal contractor for the construction of the third and fourth reactors at the Volgodonsk nuclear power plant in Russia. The company has also completed assembling the initial reactor for Russia's first floating nuclear power plant.

 

The company, a subsidiary of AtomEnergoProm (AEP), said that it was informed of the bidding results by Energoatom on 2 June.

 

Volgodonsk units 3 and 4 will be 1000 MWe VVER-1000 units, similar to unit 1, which was completed in 2000, and unit 2, which is set to start up in October. The estimated cost of constructing units 3 and 4, according to NN-AEP, is some 145.7 billion rubles ($4.8 billion) but it is thought the figure does not include the cost of capital. The units were initially set to be completed by 2014 and 2016, respectively, but Rosatom has now brought forward the completion dates to 2013 and 2014.

 

The environmental statement and construction application for the third and fourth units at Volgodonsk were approved by Rostekhnadzor, the Russian nuclear regulator, in May.

 

The Volgodonsk plant is sometimes known as Rostov after its region. Four 1000 MWe VVER pressurized water reactors were planned there in the early 1980s and some construction took place before work was stopped.

 

NN-AEP is involved in the design and construction of nuclear reactors, the management and supervision of nuclear power plant construction projects, and the commissioning of nuclear plants. The company acts as general contractor on projects to construct and start up nuclear power plants and also supplies material and equipment for nuclear plant construction projects.

 

Reactor completed for floating plant

 

Meanwhile, NN-AEP has completed the assembly of the KLT-40S reactor for the first of Russia's floating nuclear power plants, currently under construction in St Petersburg.

 

The 35 MW reactor has been constructed by three companies: OMZ manufactured the reactor vessel; NN-AEP produced the internals and assembled the reactor; and Afrikantov OKBM, the project developer, has provided technical supervision of the assembly and testing of the reactor.

 

An acceptance committee has confirmed that reactor is to the required standard. The committee comprised representatives from NN-AEP, the Russian Maritime Register; Russian nuclear regulator Rostekhnadzor; Afrikantov OKBM and from Energoatom's Directorate for the Construction of Floating Nuclear Power Plants.

 

The reactor will now be transported to the Baltiysky Zavod shipbuilding company in Saint Petersburg for fitment to the recently completed keel of the first floating plant, the Akademik Lomonosov. The plant will house two KLT-40S reactors, the second of which NN-AEP has already started assembling. Baltiysky Zavod is to complete the floating plant in 2011. It should then be ready for transportation by the second quarter of 2012 and is set to be handed over to Energoatom by the end of 2012.