Preparatory activities for annealing of reactor vessel metal started  at ANPP

ArmInfo. The preparatory  activities for annealing of the reactor vessel metal are started at  the ANPP in the framework of the contract concluded with the Rusatom  Service JSC, the press service of ANPP reports.

The representatives of the Novovoronezhatomenergoremont company, the  branch of the Atomenergoremont JSC, have been at the ANPP since  November 24, 2020, to participate in the activities aimed at  assembling the facility for remedial thermal treatment (annealing) of  the ANPP Unit 2 reactor vessel metal. Annealing is the most effective  method of metal recovery. With use of annealing facility the reactor  vessel is heated up to 4750 C, held up to 150 hours, and after that  slow cooling down takes place. This process allows restoring the  initial performance properties of the reactor metal for 80-85%.  

This technology of annealing was successfully applied at many  WWER-440 NPPs. During the ANPP 2021 scheduled outage the reactor  annealing will be implemented securely facilitating the Unit 2 safety  improvement and life extension.  

To note, in 2021, a large amount of work is to be done at the  Armenian NPP. In particular, recovery annealing of the reactor vessel  will be carried out, the emergency core cooling system and the  reliable power supply system will be modernized. A few days ago, a  unit for the reduction annealing (heat treatment) of the reactor  vessel metal was delivered to the Armenian NPP. The NPP will be  prepared for the final part of the life extension work, which will  take place in 2021. It is in the next year that the reactor will be  annealed, which will allow the reactor to return to its original  state by 80-85%. The procedure will be carried out by several  organizations, each of which is responsible for its own area of work.