Engineers from the Experimental and Design Organization “Gidropress”
(OKB “Gidropress,” Rosatom’s Mechanical Engineering Division) have developed a
new technical solution for Generation III VVER nuclear reactors that prevents
the release of radioactive substances into the environment, even in the event
of severe core damage. Experts have proposed incorporating a system into the
nuclear power plant design to retain core melt within the reactor vessel,
similar to the core catcher solution used in modern VVER-1200 reactors, which
localizes the molten core materials inside the reactor vessel.
Specialists plan to deploy this technical solution, or “Surok” for short, in the new power units at the Kola NPP-2 featuring 600 MW VVER-S reactors. In the future, it can be used in the construction of all new power units of nuclear power plants equipped with medium- and high-capacity VVER reactors. This solution will enhance the safety of previous-generation reactors, bringing them on par with modern Generation III+ units.
VVER-type reactors are Rosatom's flagship offering on the Russian and
international markets. It was Soviet nuclear scientists who began building
them. Since 1962, more than 80 VVER reactors have been manufactured, with
capacities ranging from 210 MW to 1300 MW. Most of them are still in operation
today. Currently, reactors of this series account for more than 90% of all
power units being built in the world.
The Kola NPP-2 will feature two power units, with the innovative VVER-600S reactor at their “hearts.” It embodied all the proven solutions of modern VVER-1200 and VVER-TOI designs, including the latest passive safety systems. A distinctive feature of the VVER-600S reactor is its ability to change power output while maintaining the highest Generation III+ safety standards (including by having a system for retaining the core melt in the reactor vessel).
Power units No. 1 and No. 2 at the Kola NPP-2 are the first power units in a series of medium-power nuclear power plant units of domestic design for deployment in isolated power systems in Russia and abroad. The capacity of each power unit will be 600 MW. The service life of the main technological equipment is at least 80 years.
Rosatom’s Mechanical Engineering Division is the largest power mechanical engineering holding in Russia in terms of production volume and revenue. It is a complete supplier of reactor island and turbine hall equipment for all Russian-designed nuclear power plants currently under construction, an equipment manufacturer, a developer, and a supplier of integrated solutions for energy companies, the oil and gas industry, and other sectors. It includes, for example, Petrozavodskmash, a Karelian factory and the largest mechanical engineering site in the region (this establishment manufactures main circulation pumps, main circulation pipe assemblies, emergency cooling system tanks, and other equipment) and Atommash, a factory in Volgodonsk that produces complex equipment for virtually all nuclear construction projects in Russia and abroad.
OKB “Gidropress” is the chief designer of VVER reactor units. The company carries out a range of design, theoretical calculation, experimental research, and production work to create reactor units for nuclear power plants of various purposes, featuring increased safety, reliability, and cost-effectiveness, competitive both in the Russian Federation and abroad. It is part of Rosatom’s Mechanical Engineering Division.
