The dome of the reactor building has been installed at unit 3 of India’s Kudankulam NPP, Rosatom’s Engineering Division (ASE) said on 2 December. Earlier large-scale assembly of the dome from the two main parts – skirts (Dome-2) and tubes (Dome-3) was completed on the ground. The 281.6-ton prefabricated structure was then raised by the Liebherr LR 11350 heavy crane to a height of 62 metres, and placed in the design position. The total duration of the operation was one hour and 15 minutes. The total weight of the structure taking into account the rigging equipment was 304.92 tons.
The completion of the structure on the ground reduced the construction and installation work on the reactor building by almost a month. The installation of the dome paves the way for welding of the main circulation pipeline. “We transfer to our partners our experience, proven technologies, and provide the necessary training, fulfilling all our obligations,” said Andrei Lebedev, vice president of ASE projects in India.
Kudankulam NPP in the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India will comprise six units with VVER-1000 reactors with an installed capacity of 6000 MWe. Units 1&2 (Phase I) began commercial operation in 2014 and 2017. Construction of units 3&4 (Phase II) and 5&6 (Phase III) is underway. Based on an intergovernmental agreement between India and Russia signed in 1988, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) is building four VVER-1000 units (3-6) at Kudankulam with Russian assistance. The expected completion date for units 3&4 is 2023.
Image: Installation of the reactor building dome at Kudankulam 3 (courtesy of Rosatom)
