Obtaining a licence from Russian regulator Rostekhnadzor for the operation unit 2 at the Kalinin NPP beyond November 2016, when its current design life ends, will be the plant’s top priority this year, said plant chief engineer Viktor Sushko. Work is currently underway to extensively modernise and upgrade the unit. During repair outage in 2016 it is planned to replace equipment including the complex electrical control system, reactor protection equipment, automatic control of the neutron flux, and the turbine condenser and to modernise security. The duration of any NPP life extension is determined by the regulator and averages between 10 and 30 years.
Kalinin is also continuing large-scale modernization at unit 3 during regular outages. A new generator stator has been installed and work is underway to replace the turbine condenser. Sushko said that as well as the upgrading it was important to ensure the continued safe and stable operation of Kalinin, including implementation of the load dispatch schedule and annual power generation of 29TWh.
The stator replacement at unit 3 will "significantly help to improve reliability of operation and stability of electricity generation and will result in an increase in rated power to 104%", the plant said. Work is also underway to replace copper-containing equipment in the secondary circuit to further enhance reliability.
