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Polar crane installed at Kursk II unit 2

Tuesday, 29 November 2022

The second new power reactor under construction at the Kursk II site has received its polar crane. Engineers said optimisation of the process had cut six days from the procedure, compared with when it was carried out at unit 1 last year.

Polar crane installed at Kursk II unit 2 — The lifting operation used a Liebherr heavy crawler crane (Image: Rosatom)

The polar crane is a significant piece of equipment in the top of the reactor building. Placed on a circular rail at a height of more than 38 metres, it is used for installation of major components in the reactor building such as the steam generators, pressuriser and primary circuit piping. In operation it is used during maintenance.

Plant owner Rosenergoatom announced on 22 November that the major beams that form the crane's bridge were lifted into place. Installation of the electrical systems and subsequent testing and commissioning of the crane are planned for the first half of 2023. The full weight of the crane and all its systems will then be 440 tonnes.

Kursk II is a new nuclear power plant in western Russia that will feature two VVER-TOI reactors, the latest version of Russia's large light-water designs. They have upgraded pressure vessels and a higher power rating of 3300 MWt that enables them to generate 1300 MWe gross. When the polar crane was installed for Kursk II unit 1 in October last year, Rosatom said that optimisation of the process had cut 30% from the time it takes.

Now further improvements have shaved a six days from the job, according to Mikhail Pinchuk, general director of Energospetsmontazh JSC, the engineering specialist that performed the installation. Another firm, Trust RosSEM, installed the crane's circular rail.