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Eddy current testing of steam generators of Belarusian nuclear power plant finished

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MINSK, 1 June (BelTA) – Eddy current testing of steam generators of the first unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant has been finished, BelTA learned from the press service of the company AO Atomenergoremont.

Eddy current testing is a mandatory control step in the process of preparing the units for operation. Eddy current testing is supposed to make sure the metal of the primary equipment in the reactor compartment has kept its technical characteristics after hot trials.

According to Andrei Zalozny, head of the representative office of AO Atomenergoremont in Belarus, the equipment of the Belarusian nuclear power plant was subjected to eddy current testing using high-precision equipment and manipulators made by Atomenergoremont. The equipment is unique in Russia. It was used to measure the speed and depth of current passage through metal. The data allows making conclusions about the state of the material in addition to detecting even the smallest cavities and fissures. “Simple yet reliable manipulators allow bringing measuring devices to any point while recording devices can operate for many hours at maximum workload. This kind of testing boasts maximum precision. The reliability of metal defect detection is close to 100%,” the source said.

Not only the schedule for completing related pre-commissioning operations but the timeframe for inspecting the primary equipment of the reactor unit depended on the timely organization of eddy current testing. “Coordinated and prompt actions, the outstanding professional skills all participants of the process on the Russian side and the Belarusian one demonstrated allowed completing this stage within the intended timeframe without detriment to quality,” said Oleg Shperle, Vice President of ASE (the engineering division of the Russian state nuclear industry corporation Rosatom).

The Belarusian nuclear power plant is being built near Ostrovets, Grodno Oblast using a Russian design featuring two VVER-1200 reactors with the total output capacity of 2,400MW. Rosatom's engineering division – ASE – is the general contractor. The first unit is supposed to go online in 2020, with the second one scheduled for launch in 2021.

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