The Reactor Vessel for Unit 1 Has Been Delivered to Akkuyu NPP

The most critical piece of equipment for Unit 1 of the Akkuyu NGS, the reactor vessel, was delivered to the construction site after traveling 3,000 km. The reactor vessel is a large piece of equipment in which nuclear fuel is loaded during operation and where nuclear reactions take place under high pressure and temperature.

Weighing 330 metric tons, with a diameter of 4.5 meters and a height of 12 meters, the Reactor Vessel was manufactured by Atomenergomash AEM-Technology over a period of approximately three years. During the production of the reactor vessel, more than 750 manufacturing operations were carried out. The reactor vessel and its components for the Akkuyu NPP successfully passed more than 300 quality control tests at various stages of production. The reactor vessel was transported from the port at the Tsimlyan Dam, which belongs to the Atommash manufacturing facility, to the East Cargo Terminal at the Akkuyu NPP site within 20 days.

Sergey Butskikh, First Deputy General Director and Director of NPP Construction Works, commented on the matter: “Construction and installation work is proceeding at a very active pace at the Akkuyu NPP site. At the first power unit, the installation of several key structural elements—such as the second layer of the inner containment shell, the cantilever beam, and the support beam—has been completed, and the core catcher and reactor shield have been positioned in their designated locations. Major equipment is being delivered to the site according to schedule. At the end of September, four steam generators to be used in Unit 1 were delivered to the Eastern Cargo Terminal, and today we are taking delivery of the reactor vessel, which is the heart of Unit 1. The Reactor Vessel, along with its thrust and support rings, traveled approximately 3,000 kilometers from AEM-Teknoloji A.Ş.’s Atommash branch in Volgodonsk to the Akkuyu site—Turkey’s first nuclear power plant. “After all necessary customs procedures are completed, the Reactor Vessel will undergo an incoming inspection,” the statement noted.

The Reactor Vessel will undergo an incoming inspection in accordance with all regulatory requirements. A special commission established for this purpose will review the Reactor Vessel’s design and related quality and production documentation and conduct detailed inspections using various measuring instruments. After these stages, the reactor vessel will be sent for assembly.

In addition, the Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NDK) and independent inspection organizations authorized by the NDK carried out inspection and supervision activities at all stages of the reactor vessel’s production at Atommash’s manufacturing facilities. Similarly, all activities to be carried out on-site will be inspected in accordance with the inspection plan established by the NDK and the audit organizations authorized by the NDK.

Last month, four steam generators for Power Unit 1 were delivered from the Atommash manufacturing facility.