The concrete foundations of the reactor of power unit No. 8 at the Leningrad nuclear power plant have been successfully completed. This achievement was reached within two months, finishing two and a half months ahead of the project schedule.
Expansion of the Leningrad nuclear power plant
The development of the foundation pit was carried out by employees of TITAN-2 Holding, who act as general contractors in the construction of new units at the plant. In June, the construction of the pit intended for the reactor of power unit no. 8 was completed, finishing this phase two weeks ahead of schedule. The speed and precision in the execution of this work is a testament to the team’s commitment to excellence.
During the construction of the concrete foundation pit, an advanced multilayer drainage technology was implemented, which included the use of lean concrete, sand and porous concrete, followed by a special protective layer before the final preparation of the concrete. JSC Concern TITAN-2 Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant Facilities Program Manager Konstantin Khudyakov explained that B35 concrete was used, a high-density, high-strength material that is particularly suitable for supporting high loads in monolithic structures.
The next phase of the project envisages the installation of lightning protection systems and waterproofing, stages that will be carried out until the end of August. Evgeny Milushkin, Deputy Director of Capital Construction and Head of the Capital Construction Department of the Leningrad 2 NPP, noted that once this phase is completed, specialists will begin reinforcement of the foundation slab with steel reinforcement, creating an extremely robust structure.
It is important to remember that the work plan calls for the first cubic meter of concrete in the foundation of the No. 8 reactor building to be poured in 2025. Over the next five years, the construction team will erect an approximately 70-meter-high building that will house the nuclear reactorThe building will house the nuclear reactor, steam generators, the main circulation pipeline and a “meltdown trap”. From this facility, production of the plant’s main product, electricity, will begin.
The electrical capacities of the nuclear power plant
The Leningrad nuclear power plant operates four RBMK-1000 units and two PWR-1200 units. After 45 years of service, RBMK-1000 units 1 and 2 were decommissioned and replaced by two PWR-1200 units in 2018 and 2021, respectively, with an expected lifetime of 60 years and a possible extension of an additional 20 years. By 2030 and 2032, power units No. 7 and No. 8 VVER-1200 are expected to be commissioned, replacing RBMK-1000 power units No. 3 and No. 4, each with an annual production capacity in excess of 8.5 billion kWh of electricity.
On March 14, 2024, the first concrete was poured into the foundations of the reactor of power unit no. 7 at the construction site of the new units of the Leningrad nuclear power plant. Currently, nuclear power accounts for about 20% of Russia’s energy balance, and is expected to reach 25% by 2045.
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Source: Rosenergoatom
Photo: Shutterstock