Installation of the main equipment for the turbine of unit 2 of the Leningrad Phase II nuclear power plant in northwest Russia has been completed and according to schedule, state nuclear corporation Rosatom said yesterday.

The turbine of Leningrad II-2 (Image: Rosatom)

The stator, separators, superheaters, deaerator, turbine condensers, high- and low-pressure heaters and heat exchangers have all been installed, it said. The shaft of the turbine has been aligned and three bridge cranes have been successfully operated, it added. The turbine building consists of four platforms, a total area of  almost 25,000 square meters, more than 5000 tonnes of pipes and nearly 4000 valves.

Work will now start on insulation, low-current and electrical installation works as well as the laying of external and internal engineering networks, it said. In total, 71 technological systems will be housed in the turbine building of the unit.

Alexander Chebotarev, head of construction at the plant, said that personnel are working with established cooperation and successful experience of similar operations with unit 1, which is now at the final stage of commissioning.

“This enables us not only to keep to schedule, but in some areas even to shorten the time required," he said.
The existing Leningrad plant site has four operating RBMK-1000 units, while Leningrad-II will have four VVER-1200 units.

Leningrad II-1 is the second VVER-1200 reactor, following the launch in 2016 of Novovoronezh 6. Start-up operations of the new Leningrad unit began on 8 December last year, when the first fuel assemblies were loaded into the reactor core. The reactor was brought to the minimum controllable power level on 6 February and connected to the grid on 9 March. It entered the final stage of its commissioning on 26 March.