The MCC connects the main equipment of the reactor plant: the reactor, steam generators, and main circulation pumps, and forms the first circuit of the NPP. The length of the MCP is 160 m, and the thickness of the pipe walls made of special steel is 7 cm. During the operation of the NPP, the coolant will circulate in the MCP - deeply demineralized water with a temperature of up to 330 degrees Celsius under a pressure of 160 atm. The thermal energy that is produced in the reactor is transferred through the heat exchange tubes of the steam generator from the first circuit to the second - saturated steam is produced. Through the steam pipeline, it enters the steam turbine, which sets in motion a generator that generates electricity.
“Welding of the main circulation pipeline is one of the key stages in the construction of a power unit. If the reactor of a nuclear power plant is often compared to the heart, then the main circulation pipeline is its main artery. During the operation of the nuclear power plant, water with a temperature of up to 330 degrees continuously circulates through it. Only special pipes with a wall thickness of 70 mm can withstand such loads, so pipeline welding is a complex and high-tech operation, which is subject to the most stringent requirements. Completion of welding work will be the starting point for carrying out the strait on the open reactor. At this stage, we will check the patency of the pipelines, carry out their post-installation cleaning and confirm the readiness of the equipment for the next stage - the physical start-up stage, ”Anastasia Zoteeva, General Director of Akkuyu Nuclear JSC, is quoted in the message.
Akkuyu NPP is the first nuclear power plant under construction in the Republic of Turkey. The project is being implemented on the basis of an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in the construction and operation of a nuclear power plant at the Akkuyu site in the Republic of Turkey, concluded between the Russian Federation and Turkey on May 12, 2010. The project provides for the construction of four power units with Russian-designed VVER generation 3+ reactors. The capacity of each NPP power unit will be 1,200 MW. To date, the project is fully funded by the Russian side. Rosatom State Corporation is the majority shareholder of Akkuyu Nuclear, which has assumed obligations for the design, construction, maintenance, operation, and decommissioning of the plant. The construction of the Akkuyu NPP is the first project in the global nuclear industry implemented according to the Build-Own-Operate model (“build-own-operate”).