Novovoronezh NPP: power unit No. 5 is being prepared for modernization and lifetime extension

Representatives of regional and local mass media, Novovoronezh administration press service and enterprises taking part in the modernization visited the unit control room, turbine room and auxiliary systems premises of the 5 th power unit which on September 26, 2010 will be shut down for scheduled preventive maintenance with profound modernization of the equipment aimed at extension of its lifetime.
“Extension of the 5th power unit lifetime is a scheduled measure after expiration of its design service life equal to 30 years”, Vladimir Povarov said. “A 30-year lifetime of the 5 th power unit expires on September 26 of the current year. It’ll be put out of operation to undergo major overhaul with profound modernization, replacement of some parts of equipment, and, in its turn, confirmation of potential of the equipment that remains serviceable”.
Vladimir Povarov emphasized that a large margin of safety provided by our projectors and allowing to extend the million-kilowatt power unit lifetime is characteristic of our nuclear equipment. “Modernization of the equipment is the necessary condition for the extension. In particular, reactor installation control monitoring system based on modern hardware components with self-diagnostics will be fully replaced, the electrical machinery will replaced with innovative equipment by 80%”, the nuclear power plant director explained. Then he added that Russian design and engineering organizations as well as specialists from western expert organizations were preparing materials and making calculations for different stages of the modernization.
For several years the work related evaluation of the equipment service life and calculation of safety margin has been underway to obtain a license for the 5 th power unit operation. “The package of documents substantiating the possibility of obtaining the license is in Rostekhnadzor now”, Vladimir Povarov explained. By the way, the main document from this package is called the Safety Case Report and consists of about 9 thousand pages of information and calculations.
In Vladimir Povarov’s opinion, lifetime extension of power unit No. 5 of Novovoronezh NPP is most important state objective allowing to preserve a reliable electricity generating facility in the territory of the Central Black Earth Region.
Power unit No. 5 of Novovoronezh NPP is a main unit of VVER-1000 series. Principles of its designing, construction and operation were taken as model for construction of VVER-1000 power units with В-302, В-320 reactors put into operation at NPPs in Russia (Balakovo, Volgodonsk, Kalinin), Ukraine (South Ukrainian and Zaporozhskaya NPPs), Czechia (Temelin NPP), Bulgaria (Kozloduy NPP).