BelNPP to restart first unit next week after equipment failure
<p> MINSK, Nov 13 - PrimePress. The repeated launch of the first power unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant (BelNPP, Astravyets, Grodno Oblast) is scheduled for next week. </p> <p> </p> <p> The shutdown of the first unit occurred on November 8 due to the breakdown of electrical equipment, said Atomstroyexport Vice-President Vitaly Polyanin. (Russia’s Atomstroyexport is the general contractor for the Astravyets nuclear project). </p> <p> </p> <p> “It was previously revealed that the voltage transformers failed from the measuring circuit of the block transformer protection as a result of internal short circuit. The equipment is made in Italy; now we are changing the transformers for Russian-made ones from Rosenergoatom’s reserves.” Polyanin said in an interview published by the Kommersant newspaper on November 13. </p> <p> </p> <p> In his words, they plan to connect the unit to the grid early next week after equipment installation and tests. </p> <p> </p> <p> The incident at the BelNPP “is not a critical case, but an absolutely routine situation for this stage,” Polyanin said. </p> <p> </p> <p> “Such cases have already occurred in the history of the Russian nuclear power industry. Much depends on the quality of manufacture of this type of transformers, which are operated in fairly harsh conditions. But this is our task at this stage to identify all the bottlenecks before the unit is put into commercial operation,” Polyanin said. </p> <p> </p> <p> He also noted that the radiation background at the site is normal, “according to the IAEA international scale, this incident is zero”. “At this stage of commissioning the unit, electricity generation does not play a decisive role, the main thing is to check the operation of equipment and systems in all operating modes of the unit,” said Polyanin. </p> <p> </p> <p> As previously reported, the first power unit of the BelNPP was integrated into the unified power grid of Belarus on November 3. On November 7, the first unit reached the capacity of 400 MW, and on November 8 the production of electricity was suspended. The Energy Ministry of Belarus confirmed the fact of temporary interruption of electricity supply from the Belarusian NPP. </p> <p> </p> <p> Belarus’ first nuclear power plant in Ostrovets (a town in the Grodno Oblast also referred to as Astravyets) will have two units with a combined capacity of up to 2,400 megawatts. The AES-2006 Russian standard design of (generation 3+) was chosen for its construction. Rosatom’s division Atomstroyexport acts as the general contractor for the NPP construction. The Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant RUE is the project customer and the future operator of the NPP. The first power unit was launched on November 3, 2020. It is expected to be put into commercial operation in February 2021; the second unit – in May 2022. End </p>
2020-11-14
Primepress
MINSK, Nov 13 - PrimePress. The repeated launch of the first power unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant (BelNPP, Astravyets, Grodno Oblast) is scheduled for next week.
The shutdown of the first unit occurred on November 8 due to the breakdown of electrical equipment, said Atomstroyexport Vice-President Vitaly Polyanin. (Russia’s Atomstroyexport is the general contractor for the Astravyets nuclear project).
“It was previously revealed that the voltage transformers failed from the measuring circuit of the block transformer protection as a result of internal short circuit. The equipment is made in Italy; now we are changing the transformers for Russian-made ones from Rosenergoatom’s reserves.” Polyanin said in an interview published by the Kommersant newspaper on November 13.
In his words, they plan to connect the unit to the grid early next week after equipment installation and tests.
The incident at the BelNPP “is not a critical case, but an absolutely routine situation for this stage,” Polyanin said.
“Such cases have already occurred in the history of the Russian nuclear power industry. Much depends on the quality of manufacture of this type of transformers, which are operated in fairly harsh conditions. But this is our task at this stage to identify all the bottlenecks before the unit is put into commercial operation,” Polyanin said.
He also noted that the radiation background at the site is normal, “according to the IAEA international scale, this incident is zero”. “At this stage of commissioning the unit, electricity generation does not play a decisive role, the main thing is to check the operation of equipment and systems in all operating modes of the unit,” said Polyanin.
As previously reported, the first power unit of the BelNPP was integrated into the unified power grid of Belarus on November 3. On November 7, the first unit reached the capacity of 400 MW, and on November 8 the production of electricity was suspended. The Energy Ministry of Belarus confirmed the fact of temporary interruption of electricity supply from the Belarusian NPP.
Belarus’ first nuclear power plant in Ostrovets (a town in the Grodno Oblast also referred to as Astravyets) will have two units with a combined capacity of up to 2,400 megawatts. The AES-2006 Russian standard design of (generation 3+) was chosen for its construction. Rosatom’s division Atomstroyexport acts as the general contractor for the NPP construction. The Belarusian Nuclear Power Plant RUE is the project customer and the future operator of the NPP. The first power unit was launched on November 3, 2020. It is expected to be put into commercial operation in February 2021; the second unit – in May 2022. End