Framatome completes Forsmark I&C upgrade

13 December 2018

France's Framatome has completed a project to upgrade the safety instrumentation and control (I&C) system of unit 3 at the Forsmark nuclear power plant in Sweden.

The Forsmark plant (Image: Vattenfall)

Under a contract awarded by Forsmark Kraftgrupp AB - a subsidiary of Vattenfall - in October 2016, Framatome has supplied a new neutron flux measuring system, provided the qualification testing and installed the components. The contract - the value of which was not disclosed - also included engineering and related services to perform the regular function system tests as well as the necessary upgrade of the simulator.

The new I&C assemblies for the neutron flux wide range monitoring system were designed and manufactured at Framatome's Erlangen and Karlstein sites in Germany. They were installed into the existing cabinets at Forsmark.

Framatome said the wide range system monitors the neutron flux in the reactor core during outages as well as during plant start-up and shut-down operations, "contributing to plant safety during these operating stages".

"The successful project in Sweden proves our competence to provide I&C upgrades worldwide to different reactor types," said Framatome Senior Executive Vice President Frédéric Lelièvre. "In Forsmark we used our specific know-how in boiling water reactors which includes not only the delivery of the components but also service to support installation, simulator integration, training and commissioning."

Researched and written by World Nuclear News