MINSK, 21 November (BelTA) – The assembly of in-vessel devices has begun at the first unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant, BelTA learned from representatives of the general contractor ASE Company (Rosatom's engineering division).
Equipment is being assembled as part of a controlled assembly stage. The operation is supposed to confirm the equipment matches the designed parameters. Before fuel is loaded, the reactor is assembled three times. It allows making sure the reactor unit will work safely during the operation period, noted Vitaly Polyanin, supervisor of the Belarusian nuclear power plant construction project and ASE Company Vice President.
The first controlled assembly was done by the manufacturer. The second one is in progress now. Once it is finished, the equipment will be inspected and the reactor will be assembled for the third time.
Soon an in-vessel core barrel will be placed inside the reactor as well as a reflection shield and a number of protective pipes. Then clearance between reactor components will be checked against specifications. Then 163 imitators of fuel rods will be placed inside the reactor.
The Belarusian nuclear power plant is being built using a Russian design featuring VVER-1200 reactors near Ostrovets, Grodno Oblast. The first power-generating unit is scheduled for commissioning in 2019, with the second one to go online in 2020.
