It includes loading nuclear fuel into the reactor, bringing the reactor to the minimum controlled power level and conducting required physical experiments.
The official first criticality ceremony was attended by Mr. Andrei Petrov, the General Director of JSC Rosenergoatom, Mr. Vladimir Pereguda, the Director of the Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant, Mr. Grigory Naginsky, the General Director of JSC CONCERN TITAN-2.
The reactor first criticality operation will make it possible to accurately study the neutronics of the core required for the safe nuclear reactor first criticality and its subsequent operation.
In his comment on the event, Mr. Grigory Naginsky noted: “During the construction, we have gained valuable experience, elaboration of project management technology has been started, a number of processes have been optimized. All the developments are already used to construct the power unit 2 and will be used to construct the Finnish NPP.”
TITAN-2 Holding Company subsidiaries’ specialists will continue the works at the power unit 1 of the NPP under construction. They will have to perform lots of construction and finishing activities for the buildings not included into the first criticality program. Works for ventilation and engineering systems for auxiliary buildings will go on. The full project scope of works for the first criticality should be completed by commissioning of the power unit 1.
Note:
The Holding “Titan-2” is the largest in the North-West group of companies, erecting the most important objects of the nuclear industry and energy. The organization performs a full range of construction and installation works from engineering to commissioning.
The Holding “Titan-2” is one of the main contractors for the construction of power units No. 1 and No. 2 of the Leningradskaya NPP-2. Main organizations of the company perform 30% of general construction and 80% of installation works on the site. Specialists of the holding are engaged on the objects of the Leningradskaya NPP-2 first and second power units. The works are being performed in the buildings of the reactor, turbine, electricity, water, heating system and other structures of power units.