Welding of the main coolant pipeline (MCP) has been successfully completed in the reactor building of Unit 2 at Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). The entire process of joining, welding, and heat treatment of 28 weld joints took 60 days.
Another 6 days were required to complete surfacing with austenitic stainless steel that will protect the pipeline from aggressive media.
The main coolant pipeline is a system of pipes connected to the primary circuit. It consists of four loops, each of which is connected to the reactor and reactor coolant pump and steam generator. The MCP is 140 meter long with an inner diameter of 850 mm and weighs 238 tons.
“During the NPP operation, coolant with a temperature of 320 degrees centigrade will be circulating through the MCP, therefore, pipeline welding is a very responsible process involving the most experienced welders. Each weld joint passes seven inspections at different work stages, which guarantees its reliability and quality”, said Alexey Deriy, ASE Vice President and Director of Rooppur NPP Construction Project.
About one hundred employees of Energospetsmontazh were engaged in the work. Specialists from NIKIMT-Atomstroy provided technical, expertise, and consultation support.
Rooppur NPP is being equipped with two Russian VVER-1200 reactors of a total 2400 MW capacity. The VVER-1200 reactors belonging to Generation III+ fully comply with all the international safety requirements. The Engineering Division of Rosatom State Corporation of Russia is implementing the project as the general contractor.
The lifespan of the reactors are 60 years, which can be extended for another 20 years, if necessary.
In 2015-2016, preparatory work was carried out at the construction site, working documentation was developed and documents for licensing for construction were prepared. On November 4, 2017, the regulatory authority of Bangladesh (BAERA) issued the required licence for the design and construction of the plant.
On 2 October 2013, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina laid the first stone in the foundation of Rooppur NPP. The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved the Construction of Rooppur NPP Project on December 6, 2016 at an estimated cost of Tk 1,13,092.91 crore.