France’s Framatome has been awarded a contract to modernise the Reactor Protection System (RPS) in the emergency control building at Switzerland’s Gösgen NPP. The contract also includes the enhancement of battery capacity.
Gösgen NPP is operated by Kernkraftwerk Gösgen-Däniken (KKG) on behalf of its five owners: Alpiq AG (40%), Axpo Power AG (25%), the City of Zurich (15%), Centralschweizerische Kraftwerke AG (12.5%) and Energie Wasser Bern (7.5%). The single unit NPP began commercial operation in November 1979. The 1010 MWe pressurised water reactor generates about 13% of Switzerland’s electricity needs.
The RPS monitors vital reactor operation parameters and in the event of any deviation safely powers down the reactor. Framatome’s TELEPERM XS digital instrumentation and control (I&C) platform will be used to upgrade the RPS at Gösgen.
“We are delighted to continue our decades-long partnership with Gösgen NPP,” said Frédéric Lelièvre Framatome, Senior Executive Vice President for the Sales, Regional Platforms and Instrumentation & Control Business Unit. “This new contract again illustrates the trust our customer has in our ability to modernise from analog to digital technologies, while continuing to meet the highest standards of safety.”
In 2014, Framatome completed the digital modernisation of the plant’s reactor control and limitation and subsequently modernised the plant’s four emergency diesel generators and upgraded the entire I&C and electrical systems with its digital technology.
In April 2019, Framatome was awarded a contract by KKG to modernise the reactor protection system at Gösgen. This included modernisation of the entire RPS using Framatome’s TELEPERM XS digital I&C platform. In addition, Framatome said important functions would be realised with a diverse hardwired back-up system. Installation and commissioning of the new RPS was carried out during the plant’s planned 2022 outage.
Since 2002, KKG in cooperation with Framatome, has modernised its (I&C systems using a step-by-step approach, transitioning from analog to the latest digital technologies, while increasing performance and safety. Framatome’s digital TELEPERM XS platform has been installed or is currently being installed in 92 reactors in 17 countries worldwide.
