Bruce Power awards more Candu extension contracts
Bruce Power has awarded L3 MAPPS a contract to replace the digital control computer (DCC) system of unit 6 of the Bruce B nuclear power plant in Ontario. Bruce Power has also awarded SNC-Lavalin contracts worth almost $28 million for its major component replacement program.
L3 MAPPs said three DCCs will be delivered. The first unit (DCC-Z) will be used as a maintenance platform and is due to be installed in the first quarter of 2018. The other two (DCC-X and DCC-Y) are "redundant units for plant operations" and are expected to be delivered in the second quarter of 2019.
DCC systems are used to monitor and control the major reactor and power plant functions at Candu nuclear power plants. The new DCC system will feature SSCI-890 CPUs and will replace the Varian V72 computer systems and related equipment "to ensure continuous, safe and reliable performance over the service life of the plant", L3 MAPPS said.
"Our first DCC system, built in the early 1970s, was for the Bruce site. With this new project, we have come full circle, marking a new chapter in L3 MAPPS' DCC business," said Michael Chatlani, vice president of marketing and sales for L3 MAPPS Power Systems and Simulation.
Replacing the DCCs at the Bruce site is an important element of Bruce Power's operating period extension program to 2064, said Mike Rencheck, Bruce Power's president and CEO.
Bruce Power provides 30% of Ontario's power at 30% below the average residential price. The Bruce site hosts eight Candu reactors in Tiverton.
Bruce Power has also awarded SNC-Lavalin contracts worth almost $28 million for its major component replacement project over the past three months.
These contracts include "engineering scopes for detailed design of fuel channel and feeder reactor components", Bruce Power said. The design of these core components will enable the reactors, starting with unit 6 and applicable to the remaining units, "to continue to produce safe, reliable and affordable carbon-free power for another 30 years," it added.
SNC-Lavalin will also provide engineering, procurement and project management support services to assist Bruce Power in delivering automated and manual tooling to remove and reinstall fuel channel reactor components.
The fourth contract covers the preliminary design of visual inspection and vacuuming tools to clean and inspect the internal structure of the calandria vessel, "providing assurance all components are fit for use to continue generating power", Bruce Power said.
Researched and written
by World Nuclear News
