30 Mar (NucNet): Fuel loading has started at Russia’s first Generation-III nuclear unit at Novovoronezh 2-1 in Voronezh Oblast, western Russia, state nuclear corporation Rosatom said.
The first fuel assembly was loaded on 24 March at 3:28 local time, but the “active phase” of the loading process began on 25 March, the statement said.
According to Vladimir Povarov, director of the Novovoronezh nuclear station, the loading pattern is different from those which have been used at pilot power units in the past, because the reactor core will be partly filled with fuel assembly dummies.
Mr Povarov said this loading operation is used in order to “to ensure additional safety” during the first criticality phase.
At the first stage of the fuel loading operation, only one third of all loaded assemblies will contain fresh nuclear fuel, while the rest will be dummies, Fedor Tatarkin, a chief engineer at the Novovoronezh nuclear station, said.
He also said the dummy assemblies will be gradually replaced by fresh nuclear fuel in accordance with the operating schedule.
Novovoronezh 2-1 is a Generation-III VVER 1200/392M pressurised water reactor unit with a design net capacity of 1,114 megawatts. Construction began in June 2008.
On 23 March 2016, Russia’s nuclear regulator Rostekhnadzor issued the operation licence for Novovoronezh 2-1, paving the way for first criticality and eventual commercial operation.
