Rostov nuclear power plant’s Unit 4 (the architect general and principal contractor is Group of Companies ASE) has started one of the most important stages of start-up and adjustment, i.e. pressure tests and circulation flushing (PT&CF) of the reactor department piping.
During the June pressure tests, pressure of 35 kg/cm2 will be built up in the primary circuit of the reactor and 20 kg/cm2 in the secondary circuit. These parameters are required to test the reactor and process piping assembling quality. The next stage of PT&CF is the piping tests at increased parameters.
“The start of the pressure tests, essentially, is coming to homestretch at the stage of the first criticality preparations,” Alexei Kononenko, Director for Construction of Rostov NPP in the Group of Companies ASE, noted speaking of the event importance. “According to the pressure tests program, the following criteria are reached: pipeline water temperature increases up to 125°С and pressure is build up to 250 kg/cm2,” he said.
The PT&CF stage opens a series of mandatory and strictly regulated complex processes which are carried out to prepare the unit for the first criticality. The next stage of the test schedule is cold and hot runs of equipment and systems of the reactor. The Rostov-4 first power is scheduled for December 2017.