Two overhead cranes with a lifting capacity of 350 and 15 tonnes have been installed in the turbine room of unit 2 at the Akkuyu NPP under construction in Turkiye. A total of three overhead cranes will be installed. The installation of the equipment took place during combined construction and installation work with the roof open using a crane. Their commissioning will enable the installation of the turbo-generating unit at unit 2.

“Russian and Turkish specialists from the Akkuyu NPP completed the complex technological process of installing two overhead cranes in the turbine hall of unit 2,” said Sergei Butskikh, First Deputy General Director of project company Akkuyu Nukleer JSC and Director of NPP construction. “To speed up the work, the main crane of the turbine building with a lifting capacity of 350 tonnes was installed in the assembled design position. Once all three cranes are in operation, we will move on to the next stage of construction – assembling the turbine unit in the turbine building.”

The overhead cranes with a lifting capacity of 350 and 15 tonnes are mounted on the upper tier of the turbine compartment. They are connected by a single technological control system, which eliminates the possibility of overload or collision. An overhead crane with a lifting capacity of 30 tonnes will be installed on the lower tier for installation and maintenance of the main feed pumps of the turbine room. Bridge cranes are designed for construction and installation work at all stages of operation of the Akkuyu NPP. They will be used for lifting heavy loads, moving process equipment, modernisation and repairs.

Akkuyu, Türkiye’s first NPP, will eventually host four Russian-designed VVER-1200 reactors. The pouring of first concrete for unit 1 took place in April 2018, for unit 2 in June 2020, for unit 3 in March 2021, and for unit 4 in July 2022. Rosatom is constructing the reactors according to a build-own-operate model. Sources close to Rosatom confirmed to NEI that unit 1 should be ready for start-up in April 2025.