The VVER-1200 reactor is a battering ram for Western technological sanctions
In this form, the Akkuyu NPP should appear in 2025. Source: t.me/akkuyu_nukleer
Turkish gambit
Rosatom awarded Turkey the status of a nuclear power. We are talking about the country's first nuclear power plant "Akkuyu", and this status is still purely peaceful. Although no one canceled the presence of the American nuclear arsenal at the Incirlik base. But let's digress from the political component of this issue, especially in the light of deliveries to Ukraine of a wide range of Turkish weapons and technology. Let's focus on the technical side of the issue and the benefits that the construction of a Turkish nuclear power plant brings to Russia.
Impressive photos of the Akkuyu NPP under construction. Source: t.me/akkuyu_nukleer
The main thing that can be stated at the moment is that Russia's technological competencies are in demand on the world market. Among the first are nuclear reactors of the VVER-1200 series. This, so to speak, is the main export product of Rosatom. In addition to Akkuyu, nuclear power plants in Belarus in the Grodno region, the Egyptian El-Dabaa nuclear power plant, the Hungarian Paks-2 nuclear power plant, the Rooppur nuclear power plant in Bangladesh, a couple of power units of the Tianwan NPP being completed, and two power units of the NPP under construction are being built around such reactors. Xudapu" in China. Reactors of the previous VVER-1000 series are installed at the largest nuclear power plant in India, Kudankulam, which will be finally put into operation no earlier than 2025. For 2023, such a case of import projects of a Russian company looks impressive. Especially against the background of statements by individual import leaders about the isolation of the country from the outside world. Why do foreign customers love VVER-1200 so much? At first glance, there is nothing outstanding in this product. This is a typical pressurized water reactor or, according to the IAEA classification, PWR (pressurized water reactors), in which water performs two functions - moderating neutrons and transferring heat from the reactor core to the turbines. Two circuits are provided - in one, water under a pressure of 160 atmospheres is superheated in the reactor up to 300 degrees and in the liquid state transfers energy in the steam generator to the second circuit. The pressurized steam then drives a turbine and generates electricity. Four VVER-1200 reactors are being built at Akkuyu, each with a capacity of 1200 MW. This should be enough to supply electricity to almost all of Istanbul, more precisely, 90 percent of the needs of the city of 15 million people. The development of the VVER branch in the domestic industry became especially relevant after the Chernobyl tragedy, where the RBMK-1000 reactor (high-power channel reactor) exploded. The difference from the "Chernobyl" type from VVER is primarily in the use of graphite as a moderator and the absence of a second heat transfer circuit. Water in the RBMK passes through the hot zone of the reactor, and then immediately to the turbines. Structurally, the RBMK is designed for low-enriched (up to 3,5 percent by isotope) uranium dioxide as fuel, while the VVER-1200 requires almost 5 percent enrichment. Of course, it is far from weapons concentrations (more than 20 percent), but this adds to the difficulties in operation. And it binds to Russian resources - now no one in the world knows how to enrich uranium fuel so efficiently and inexpensively.
4,5-meter fuel assemblies of VVER series reactors. Source: t.me/akkuyu_nukleer
The occasion to once again recall Akkuyu happened just in connection with the fuel for the station under construction. On April 27, a ceremonial loading of the first nuclear fuel into the reactor took place, which was remotely attended by the presidents of Russia and the Republic of Turkey. This is not yet the launch of a nuclear power plant, but it is very significant for Turkey - until now, the country has not accepted anything like this. Fuel for VVER-1200 consists of "nuclear pellets" weighing several grams, up to 12 mm high and with a standardized diameter of 7,6 mm. Each tablet is literally baked for 4-5 hours at a thousand degrees, bringing the raw material to a ceramic state. The Novosibirsk Plant of Chemical Concentrates is engaged in the production of fuel concentrate, and it seems that the enterprise will not be left without orders for a long time. Next, together with the engineers, we assemble a logical matryoshka. Tablets are loaded into a tubular fuel element (TVEL) made of zirconium alloy strictly 350 pieces each. Further, each of the fuel elements builds a fuel assembly - each contains 313 fuel elements. The active zone of each reactor accommodates 163 such assemblies. The developers of Akkuyu intend to supply the first commercial electricity in 2025.
Source: atomic-energy.ru
Source: old.vestnik-aem.ru
The Akkuyu developers assure that 1 gram of fuel has a huge energy intensity - the potential is enough to operate all the necessary equipment in an apartment with a family of 3 for 4-5 years. If translated into the usual categories, then the tablet generates up to 1400 kW / h of energy and replaces half a ton of oil or 500 cubic meters of natural gas. To receive nuclear fuel on the territory of the nuclear power plant, the Vostochny marine terminal was built. From here, spent fuel will also be sent to Russia, which, in particular, will be used to load fast neutron reactors, as well as to separate unburned isotopes of uranium 235 and 238.
But the main thing in VVER-1200 reactors is not even fuel and efficiency, but safety - the highest in the world among all designs. In addition, the location of the Turkish "Akkuyu" was chosen in the most seismically calm place in the country. The authors of the project calculated resistance to a 9-magnitude earthquake and an 8-magnitude tsunami. Each reactor stands on a two-meter foundation, and the walls are one and a half meters thick. "Akkuyu" must withstand the fall of the intercontinental liner without consequences. If there are no global catastrophes, then the nuclear power plant will live without major repairs for up to 80 years. Then, most likely, the station will finally become obsolete morally and technically.
The safety of the VVER-1200 is ensured by a unique autonomous cooling system that ensures the safety of the reactor even when the station is completely de-energized, and a special trap is provided for molten nuclear fuel. This is a large cone under the reactor, filled with oxides of aluminum and iron, designed to extinguish the gigantic temperature of the melt.
VVER-1200 is not only a successful export product, but also a design mastered in the domestic market. Paradoxically, in Russia there are only two nuclear power plants operating on such pressurized water reactors (Leningradskaya and Novovoronezhskaya), and eight plants are under construction abroad at once. By the way, the Leningrad NPP is being prepared for a new generation of VVER-TOI reactors, which, in turn, has already been tested at the Kursk NPP. TOI may well become an important export asset for the future, but that is a topic for another conversation.
Made in Russia
The construction of Akkuyu in Turkey set off a chain reaction within Russia. Since this is a completely domestic turnkey project, all components are built in our country. And not only that - now three Russian universities are connected to the training program for Turkish specialists for the nuclear industry. Initially, training started at NRNU MEPhI and Peter the Great St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University, and in 2023 the National Research University Moscow Power Engineering Institute (NRU MPEI) will recruit 40 students. And this is not counting the three hundred already trained specialists from Turkey who are already working on the construction of Akkuyu. Recently, MEPhI announced admission to the master's program in the specialty "Nuclear Physics and Technology" for 25 more applicants from Turkey.
Components of Akkuyu NPP assembled in Russia. Source: t.me/akkuyu_nukleer
A little about the "hard", which is produced in Russia for "Akkuyu". In addition to fuel from Novosibirsk, platforms are being built for the Turkish nuclear power plant to transport a block of protective tubes from the reactor. This is done by the Tyazhmash plant in Syzran. The mechanism, designed for 125 tons, is designed to remove the protective tubes from the reactor during the replacement of nuclear fuel. Low-pressure heaters for power units are being built in Podolsk. Vologda Atommash manufactures 180-ton pressurizers for the primary circuit of the reactor. And this is a small fraction of a large-scale production program, which includes dozens of specialized enterprises of Rosatom.
Much of the export component of the country depends on how successful the fate of the construction of Akkuyu and other NPPs made in Russia abroad will be. First of all, it is the VVER-1200, which is a critical element of the plants, that acts as a battering ram for Western sanctions. In the extensive list of restrictions, there are a lot of refusals from the construction of nuclear power plants. The Finns covered Hanhikivi-1, they are getting rid of Russian nuclear fuel in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and last summer, according to the Vzglyad newspaper, the G7 countries "expressed their collective intention to reduce reliance on civilian nuclear and related products from Russia, including work to assist countries seeking to diversify their nuclear fuel supply chains". They won't wait. If oil and gas can still be theoretically replaced, since many people in the world produce this good, then it is more and more difficult with a peaceful atom. The "Green Agenda" at one time discouraged the development of technology almost all over the world.
At the solemn ceremony of delivering the first nuclear fuel to the Akkuyu nuclear power plant in Turkey. Source: t.me/akkuyu_nukleer
Of the leading Western powers, only France, Canada and the United States have retained competence in the field of nuclear power plant construction. Rather, residual competencies. The portfolio of orders from the Canadians from Candu Energy, the French from Framatome and the Americans from Westinghouse is vanishingly small. This means that there simply will not be enough specialists and resources to "replace Russia" in the world market. The great analysts of the West simply have nothing to offer countries like Turkey, India, Bangladesh, China and, oddly enough, Saudi Arabia. The latter, despite the ocean of oil underfoot, intends to build the first nuclear power plant in the country. In December last year, Russian nuclear scientists submitted an application for the relevant competition. In addition, Rosatom has orders for 2023 power units for foreign nuclear power plants for the spring of 34. And this means that ill-wishers will either have to look for asymmetric measures, or simply observe the development of events.
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