Welding of Akkuyu NPP Unit 2 primary circuit completed in 73 days

en.Wedoany.com Reported - The main coolant pipeline of Unit 2 at Turkey's Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (Akkuyu NPP) has completed welding, which took 73 days and involved welding 32 pipe joints. All joints underwent high-temperature treatment, and a special weld overlay was applied to the inner surfaces to prevent corrosion.

The welding work was carried out by engineers, welders, fitters, pipe cutters, non-destructive testing and heat treatment specialists, as well as quality control service personnel. Joint inspections were performed using methods such as ultrasonic testing and radiographic testing.

This main coolant pipeline has a total length of 150 meters and a wall thickness of 70 millimeters. During operation, pressurized water will circulate at a temperature of approximately 330 degrees Celsius. The primary circuit coolant transfers thermal energy to the water in the secondary circuit through the heat exchange surfaces of the steam generators, and the steam generated in the secondary circuit is used to drive the turbine generators.

Sergei Butckikh, Chief Executive Officer of Akkuyu Nuclear JSC, stated that the welding of the main coolant pipeline is one of the most critical process operations in the construction of the unit, with quality being the primary criterion at every stage. Upon completion of the welding, the primary circuit of the unit has been formed, creating conditions for subsequent pipeline installation on the reactor building equipment as well as for startup and commissioning work.

The Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant is being built by Rosatom under the BOO (Build-Own-Operate) model, and the project includes four VVER-1200 reactors. In accordance with the intergovernmental agreement between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Turkey signed in 2010, the goal is to achieve the commissioning of the first unit of the nuclear power plant within seven years after obtaining all permits required for the construction of the unit.

The construction license for Unit 1 was issued in 2018, and construction began in the same year. The first batch of steam generators arrived at the site in August 2020 for Unit 1; nuclear fuel arrived in April 2023. Under the current schedule, Unit 1 will begin supplying electricity to Turkey's power system during 2026.

The plant has an installed capacity of 4,800 megawatts and is expected to meet approximately 10% of Turkey's electricity demand once fully operational.

Turkey also plans to build a second nuclear power plant in Sinop and has held negotiations with China regarding plans for a third nuclear power plant, which is proposed to be built in the Thrace region in the northwest of the country. The country is also developing plans for small modular reactors, with a target of adding 5 gigawatts of electrical generating capacity by 2050, which implies at least the equivalent of 16 individual small modular reactors (SMRs).