The fall of the 330-ton reactor vessel can lead to the deterioration of its characteristics and significantly increase the radiation hazard of NPPs under construction.
Of a possible emergency on the construction of a Rosatom nuclear power plant in Ostrovets, Belarusian first reported in the social networks of my colleagues at the Belarusian anti-nuclear campaign Mikalai Ulasevich. He lives in the immediate vicinity of stroyploshadka and holds in ostrovec the pickets for collection of signatures to nominate a candidate.
“At least ten independent from each other sources, on condition of anonymity during my pickets for collection of signatures, confirmed the collapse of the reactor when installed in the reactor compartment of NPP under construction. The incident allegedly happened July 10, Sunday, during a test training set. Monday was scheduled to hold a ceremonial in the presence of television and other media, the ceremony of installation of the reactor on its staging place. However, the 330-ton unit, for unknown reasons, broke and fell down from a height of 2 to 4 meters”, – said Mikalai Ulasevich.
Monday this information hit the media. Reporters asked questions in the Directorate of NPP under construction and in the Ministry of energy of Belarus, but have received no reply.
The absence of rebuttal information about the fall of the reactor looks like indirect recognition of the fact of the accident – what would have been easier to say, neither the 10th of July, nor ever anything like this with the reactor or with other large equipment, nuclear power plant occurred.
While there are questions that I will try to answer.
1. Is it possible that the builders of nuclear power made a drop of the reactor vessel?
The facts show that in the construction of a Rosatom nuclear power plants in Russia, the quality of construction is often very low. For example, in 2009, Rostechnadzor has revealed the delivery of counterfeit and uncertified products in the construction of the power units of the Rostov and the second Leningrad nuclear power plant (LNPP).
Constructed the same as in Belarus project (VVER-1200/V-491) of the first unit of the second Leningrad nuclear power plant became the champion for a major emergency. July 17, 2011 at the construction site collapsed about 1,200 tons of structural steel in the construction of protective sheath.
July 4, 2015 the builders dropped from 20 meters 70-ton in-core device – the protective tube unit. As a result, valuable equipment was destroyed and the commissioning of the pilot unit moved another couple of years.
This incident is very similar to what may have happened on the Belarusian construction of Rosatom. Answering my questions at the hearing, the chief engineer of the second LNPP Oleg Ivanov said that the problem was the unreliability of the strop.
Well, if nuclear scientists could be wrong when choosing a sling at the Leningrad NPP, then this error could occur at the Ostrovets station.
About the incident at Leningrad NPP-2, I want to add only one thing. If the Corporation is unable to calculate the strength of the sling, why should we believe in their ability to correctly carry out more sophisticated calculations of nuclear and radiation safety new, never before never tested VVER-1200?
So, incidents and accidents at nuclear power plant construction is not only possible, they occur regularly.
2. What are the possible consequences of the fall of the reactor vessel?
The purpose of the reactor vessel – to hold inside the radioactive fission products and activation, are at high temperatures under high pressure. In fact, the reactor vessel is a special vessel of high pressure, one of the main “safety barriers”.
The lower part of the reactor vessel, which supposedly dropped, not made from a single piece of metal, and at least three parts – close from the hemispherical shape of the bottom and the two cylindrical parts.
On archival photo plant Atommash clearly shows that the reactor vessel design team. It welds often cause for concern. And in the event of a fall 330 ton colossus strength characteristics of the joints may undergo serious changes. Also possible damage to the reactor body bottom, on which the blow fell.
The defect of the body, received at his fall, may not be visible immediately, but such a reactor in any case, “broken”, the reactor of the second grade.
When assessing the environmental impact of the Belarusian NPP the possibility of destruction of the reactor of the nuclear industry flatly rejected. Such accident can not contain even a double concrete protective cover is designed only for a gradual increase of pressure in case of rupture of one of the 4 loops of the main pipelines, but not of the reactor vessel.
If the defective reactor vessel is not replaced, will increase substantially as the probability and severity of possible radiation accidents.
So, if the reactor has indeed been dropped, it is inevitably corrupted and cannot be used for other purposes.
I was recently in the city Volgodonsk – there is a plant Atommash, which in Soviet times managed to produce so much unnecessary reactor, one of them not to hand over in scrap metal, mounted near the entrance of the enterprise.
Perhaps it is also worth to do with the Belarusian reactor…
3. Is it possible to hide the incident?
Yes, the Russian and Belarusian nuclear scientists have all the possibilities in order not to advertise your megaprofil. 2 weeks hurt the reactor vessel can be lifted, cleaned and even then invited journalists to inspect it – appearance has nothing to say about the state of the metal casing and welds, you need an ultrasound or gamma-ray flaw detection of the entire reactor.
So we can’t be sure that the nuclear industry does not try to hide what happened or to downplay its consequences.
4. Who will pay for the failure?
Do not neglect the PR component – Lukashenko has repeatedly praised Ostrovetskaya NPP as the best, safest, therefore, to recognize that the builders screwed up and now need to wait for the manufacture of a new reactor, would be very difficult.
But, on the other hand, during the construction of the Belarusian nuclear power plant almost all was clear that such a project Belarus is not needed. Perhaps the incident in the construction will be used as an excuse to abandon the expensive and risky project. Then we face a series of trials on the topic of who is to blame and who will pay for already incurred in the construction costs.
Let me remind you, Belarus is the construction of nuclear power plant financing, construction and manufacture of the equipment is in debt due to the state export credit provided by Russia.
We all know how does not like Lukashenko to pay the debts…
From the editor. The Ministry of energy of Belarus on July 26 in the second half of the day still confirmed information about the “emergency situation” at the Ostrovets NPP.
“In fact, according to the General contractor JSC “Atomstroyexport”, non-standard situation occurred at the site of the reactor vessel when carrying out lifting operations on its movement in the horizontal plane.
RUE “Belarusian NPP”, which is the project customer immediately requested from the General contractor all necessary documents and information. Currently, the analysis of this situation continues.
After a comprehensive study of Belarusian experts provided by the JSC “Atomstroyexport” information will be made a decision.
The Belarusian side will, primarily, be guided by the need to ensure unconditional security of the station under construction”, – is spoken in the message of Ministry.
Andrei Ozharovsky, especially for the “Belarusian partisan”
