The Volgodonsk Branch of JSC “AEM-technology” (a part of Rosatom machine-building division – “Atomenergomash”) has manufactured a bottom of a reactor pressure vessel for Akkuyu NPP Unit 1 (Turkey).
The operation was performed at “Atommash” in two stages. First, a forged steel blank as a pipe was cut, heated in the furnace and under pressure of the press it was unbent for obtaining a metal sheet. This is the only way enabling to get a seamless blank with appropriate overall characteristics.
At the next stage the bottom was drawn-out. The blank weighing 64 tons, 5850 mm in diameter and 300 mm thick underwent two-stage heating in the furnace at the maximum temperature of 1040 degrees. Then the sheet was placed in die tooling. The bottom was stamped with a press power of 12000 ton/forces.
The finished bottom was again put into the furnace for heat treatment to relieve residual stresses in metal. The temperature in different areas of the part is controlled by means of thermocouples. The operation will last 6 days, with heating and cooling being alternating within a temperature range of 600-900 degrees. After cooling in air, the bottom will undergo necessary inspection operations.
“The manufacturing cycle of a reactor pressure vessel on Atommash takes over two years. We have been actively cooperating with the representatives of the Customer all the time. While manufacturing equipment for the Foreign Customer we must comply not only with Russian norms and rules for NPP equipment, but with national standards of the country, where we supply our products, — said Director of Atommash Rovshan Abbasov. — The plant gained the necessary experience by manufacturing and shipping the set of steam generators for Indian NPP in October 2018. For the time being the main workload of the enterprise is export orders”.
JSC “AEM-technology” was first of NPP manufacturers that has obtained a certificate of official approval as a manufacturer. Certificate No.
TR-10-003 was issued on 19 September, 2017 by Turkish Atomic Energy Authority (ТАЕК, a regulating authority of Turkey).
The Akkuyu NPP is the project for construction of the first NPP in Turkey and is implemented on the basis of the Intergovernmental Agreement signed between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Turkey in May 2010. VVER-1200 power units of Akkuyu NPP are based on Generation 3+ technologies that are the most modern technologies with enhanced safety systems meeting all existing requirements. This is a serial Russian nuclear power plant project based on the project of Novovoronezh NPP-2 (Russia, Voronezh Region), the first unit of which was put into commercial operation on February 27, 2017. When the construction of the Akkuyu NPP with an installed capacity of 4,800 MW is completed, it will generate about 35 billion kWh electricity per year. Its service life will be 60 years with the possibility of extension for another 20 years.
The majority shareholder of the Akkuyu NPP is the Russian State Corporation Rosatom. The project is implemented under the BOO (build-own-operate) model.
Under the project contract, which is a long-term agreement, AKKUYU NUCLEAR, the project’s contractor, has assumed the roles of design, construction, maintenance, operation and decommissioning of the plant.