VVER-1200

The basic model of a water-cooled power reactor is developed on the basis of VVER-1000. It is supplied to nuclear power plants in China, Bangladesh, Belarus and other countries. For the first time, VVER-1200 uses unique technical solutions in the field of safety, which make it possible to classify the reactor plant as a generation III+ plant.

8 reactors

shipped

14 reactors

planned to be shipped by 2031

Advantages over VVER-1000:

Specifications

3 200 MW

Thermal power

1 200 MW

Electric power

28 800 MW

The amount of energy generated per day with an 18-month fuel cycle

72 hours

Time to ensure autonomy of the plant operation in case of a beyond design basis accident

70 MW*day/kg

Maximum fuel burnup

163

Number of fuel assemblies

Economic characteristics

60 years

Life cycle

90 %

Installed capacity utilization factor

18 months

Duration of work without refueling

35,9 %

Efficiency (COP)

4 years

Overhaul period

Production process

01
02
03
04
05
Production of metallurgical blanks
Bottom stamping
Welding, surfacing and heat treatmentа
Mechanical treatment
Tests

Metallurgical blanks for the reactor vessel are supplied from the AEM-Special Steels metallurgical complex. Large-sized workpieces undergo incoming inspection, mechanical processing of surfaces and edges for welding on lathes. After the control operations, the blanks enter the following technological stages: assembly and welding.


A slab of pearlitic steel is heated in a furnace at 1,000 °C and then placed under a press with a maximum force of 15,000 tf, which forms the bottom of the slab. The double-acting hydraulic sheet punching press is unique and the only equipment in Russia that can stamp bottoms from workpieces up to 380 mm thick.

Assembly and joining of two half-vessels and welding of the closing seam are one of the key stages of the reactor vessel manufacturing cycle. Welding and surfacing are carried out automatically using a special installation. Heat treatment of blanks is carried out in gas-flame chamber furnaces to obtain the highest performance characteristics of products.

The machining process includes the manufacture of threaded holes for the studs of the main connector of the reactor vessel, as well as general work on the finishing of surfaces, welds, nozzles, drilling holes in the internals

During the entire reactor manufacturing process, most of the time is devoted to control tests. X-ray control units are used to detect defects in thick-walled products. The control of welded joints is ensured by the use of color and ultrasonic flaw detection technology. In a specially equipped underground stand - a caisson - hydraulic tests are carried out. A pressure of 25.7 MPa (262 atm) is injected into the body, in ten minutes the pressure should not fall below 24.5 MPa (250 atm).

In total, hundreds operations are carried out after docking of the reactor half-vessels. Particular attention is paid to non-destructive testing methods.

1 / 5

Supply references

Bangladesh
Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant Unit No. 1,2
VVER-1200
  • Unit #1 - Shipment 2020
  • Unit #2 - Shipment 2021 
Belarus
Belarusian NPP Units No 1, 2
VVER-1200
  • Launch of Unit #1 - 2021
  • Launch of Unit #2 - 2022
Russia
NPP Leningradskaya-2 Units No 1, 2
VVER-1200
  • Unit #1 - Launch 2018
  • Unit #2 - Launch 2020
Russia
Novovoronezh NPP Units No 6,7
VVER-1200
  • Start-up of Unit #6 - 2016
  • Start-up of unit #7 - 2019