At the AEM-Spetsstal plant, the production of a key element of the latest VVER-TOI reactor has started. In an automated forging complex, one of the most powerful in Europe, the forging of a 235-ton ingot of special steel has begun. From this blank, a shell will be made - the cylindrical part of the future reactor vessel for the third power unit of Kursk NPP-2.
In total, to create the VVER-TOI vessel, metallurgists will cast several ingots with a total weight of over 2150 tons. A feature of the new design is that it provides for four welded seams instead of six. The technical solution required changing the parameters of the blanks: some of them turned out to be larger than those traditionally used for VVER family reactors.
VVER-TOI reactor is an evolutionary development of the proven technology of water-cooled power reactors. The new units are distinguished by increased safety, increased service life and improved economic performance. Kursk NPP-2 will be one of the first sites where such power units will operate.
After forging is completed, the blank will undergo multi-stage quality control and machining. Then the reactor vessel will be sent to the manufacturing plant for final assembly and testing before being delivered to the construction site in Kurchatov.