Nuclear power utility companies5/17/2023 ![]() “After, we still need to complete the maintenance activities scheduled for the outage, commission all the systems, refuel the reactor, and return the unit to service. Remove all the temporary equipment that was required to be installed to allow the work to be done safely (scaffolding (85 tons), lead shielding (70 tons), electrical supplies (22 distribution boards and 1 km of cabling), etc).Įskom said due to these steps having to be taken carefully, the return to service of the unit has been delayed. Install new thermal insulation over the whole steam generator surface and all the pipes that were worked on (around 120 tons was removed). In all cases performing the required level of quality control. Reinstall all the other piping connections (steam pipe at the top, feedwater pipe, and all the other smaller sampling and instrumentation connections) once access is available. ![]() Re-installing all the access platforms that enable people to work all the way up the steam generators (seven stories of permanent structures and temporary scaffolding). ![]() Perform radiography on the welds to ensure they meet the code requirements. Performing the 6 critical welds (2 per steam generator) that joins the steam generators to the primary system piping. Rigging the three new steam generators into their exact position inside the containment building. Rigging the remaining two steam generators out from their positions inside containment. Several steps will still have to be taken before to ensure that the operation is executed. From here on all that is needed, is to take out the other two that are ready for lifting and install the three new steam generators,” Eskom said. ![]() “Each of them is 22m tall with a diameter of 4.5m (top half) and 3.5m (bottom half) and they each weigh over 320 tons. “The logistics of moving the steam generators from their installed position out of containment (horizonal at an elevation of 20m), to placing them on a flatbed transporter (horizontal) can only be appreciated if one understands the size and weight of each steam generator. The electricity company further explained that the removal of the steam generator is a precarious operation due to its size. It is a great relief to have reached this milestone as the steam generator replacement project has experienced numerous false starts in previous outages and some unexpected challenges during the execution in the current outage to get to this point in the project,” Eskom said on Tuesday. “This is a significant accomplishment for the Koeberg team, the contractor and the numerous local and international subcontractors involved in the project. ![]() The power utility explained that the first steam generator at the power station has been removed and placed in a storage building. This is in line with government’s Energy Action Plan Intervention One, which aims to ensure that all power stations are well maintained and working optimally to prevent further decline in the power utility’s energy availability. The unit – which holds capacity of some 920MW – is on a planned maintenance outage in order to allow for the replacement of its steam generators. Devdiscourse News Desk | Pretoria | Updated: 22-03-2023 15:44 IST | Created: 22-03-2023 15:44 IST Image Credit: PexelsĮskom has completed a major milestone in the maintenance plan of Koeberg Nuclear Power Station Unit 1. ![]()
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