GSE to upgrade Leningrad 3 simulator

10 February 2009

GSE Systems of the USA has been awarded a multi-million dollar contract to upgrade the existing simulator at unit 3 of the Leningrad nuclear power plant in Russia.
 
The Leningrad plant currently operates four 1000 MWe RBMK reactors. GSE has built two full scope control room simulators covering these four reactors, as well as two emergency shutdown control room simulators. The Leningrad 3 simulator was initially delivered by GSE in 1996 and underwent an upgrade in 2002. Now the Unit 3 simulator will undergo a major modification, including safety system upgrades.
 
The contract includes modernizing the simulation computers, updating plant models to reflect the plant safety system changes, upgrading the simulation tool set and providing a new hardware interface system. GSE said that the upgrade will be complete in approximately eighteen months.
 

Leningrad control room
One of the control rooms at Leningrad
 
In early 2006, GSE was awarded a contract by Rosenergoatom and Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant (LNPP) for a major upgrade to the Leningrad 1 full scope simulator. The scope of supply included implementing numerous panel hardware and system software modifications to reflect design changes in the actual plant. In addition, GSE was to upgrade the current simulator computers and modelling technology.

 

This latest contact was one of a clutch that GSE has recently won in Europe worth over $7 million in total. In addition, GSE is eyeing India as a possible new market to enter, following the opening of India to civilian nuclear trade with the USA. The company participated in the recent five-day US trade mission to India organised by the US-India Business Council (USIBC) in partnership with the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) and US Department of Commerce (DoC).