Atommash , AEM-Technologies, JSC Branch in Volgodonsk (part of Rosatom Machine Building Division – Atomenergomash) has completed welding of the steam generator heads for Kudankulam NPP Power Unit No. 5.
The Kudankulam NPP is a nuclear power plant with VVER-1000 power units, located in southern India, in the state of Tamil Nadu. Since February 2016, the first power unit of the Kudankulam NPP has been steadily operating at the design power level of 1,000 MW. The second power unit was connected to India’s national power grid on August 29, 2016. The Master Framework Agreement with Rosatom on the construction of the third and fourth units was signed in the spring of 2014. In June 2017, Engineering Division of Rosatom State Corporation and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited signed an agreement for the construction of the third stage (power unit’s No. 5 and No. 6) of the Kudankulam NPP.
Preliminary, support components and 11,000 heat-exchange coils were completed inside the steam generator. Automatic welding of the heads is performed with heating at a temperature of 120 to 250 degrees during seven days. The welding of the two welds required 660 kg of wire and 935 kg of flux. Further, specialists will perform local heat treatment of welds and a full range of technical inspections, including hydraulic tests and eddy-current test of heat-exchange tubes.
The steam generator is a heat exchange equipment, part of the reactor facility and belongs to the first safety class items. The equipment is about 14 meters long, over 4 meters in diameter, and weighs 350 tons. The equipment of one NPP unit includes four steam generators.