Rusatom Service, the electric power division of Russia's state atomic energy corporation Rosatom, has been selected to modernise neutron-flux monitoring equipment at 5 and 6 of the Kozloduy nuclear power plant in Bulgaria.
A contract was awarded following a competitive public tender announced in September 2019.
Rosatom said that neutron-flux monitoring equipment plays an "essential role" in ensuring nuclear power plant safety and is used in VVER reactor control and protection systems. Modernisation of the equipment is, therefore, a high priority task.
Gidropress, the designer of the Kozloduy nuclear power plant and the Kurchatov Institute will both be involved in the approval of necessary technical documentation for the project.
JSC SNIIP Systematom will supply the main components of the equipment.
Rusatom Service has already carried out several projects at Kozloduy, including a feasibility study for life extension and modernisation of the turbogenerators.
Kozloduy, located in northern Bulgaria, comprises two VVER-1000 reactors.
Kozloduy 5 was connected to the grid in 1987, and in 2017 it operating life was extended until 2027.
Last year, Kozloduy 6, which started operating in 1991, received a 10-year operating licence extension from Bulgaria’s Nuclear Regulatory Agency (NRA), which means it can continue generating electricity until October 2029.
Photo: Kozloduy nuclear power plant
