SteelGuru
Nov 28 2018
Rusatom Service completes modernization of turbine unit at Armenian nuclear power plant
Power News – Published on Wed, 28 Nov 2018
Rusatom Service, a unit of Russia's Rosatom that services nuclear power plants abroad, said that it has completed the modernization of the equipment of one of the two turbine units at Armenia’s nuclear power plant in Metzamor as part of a project designed to extend the service life of the facility. It said the modernized turbine unit was connected to the power grid of Armenia last week. During a series of tests, the equipment reached the peak capacity of 238 MW.
Rusatom Service said that the modernization launched on June 1, 2018, involved modernization of the turbine, replacement of separators, steam superheaters, the turbine generator, the replacement of conductors and the transformer. To accomplish this task, about 400 Russian specialists worked around the clock at the facility together with their Armenian colleagues.
It said over the past few years the service life of more than 2,500 components, systems and structures have been extended at the plant. Also heavy and large equipment has been supplied (a total of over 70 railway cars of modern, high-tech equipment).
The press release said that "This was made possible thanks to the professionalism, skillful organization and well-coordinated work of the Russian and Armenian specialists.”
It said also the project to extend the service life of the plant will be completed by the end of 2021, as a result Armenia will receive a nuclear power plant with modern equipment, and with a safety close to world standards.
The project to modernize and extend the service life of the Armenian NPP is being implemented as part of an intergovernmental agreement between Armenia and Russia.
The Armenian Nuclear Power Plant is located some 30 kilometers west of Yerevan. It was built in the 1970s but was closed following a devastating earthquake in 1988. One of its two VVER 440-V230 light-water reactors was reactivated in 1995. Armenian authorities said they would build a new nuclear power plant to replace the aging facility. The new plant was said to operate at twice the capacity of the Soviet-constructed facility. The plant currently generates some 35 percent of Armenia's electricity.
Source : Rusatom