OREANDA-NEWS. January 27, 2010. JSC “Atomstroyexport” (JSC ASE) has successfully completed the hydraulic testing of the Bushehr NPP secondary coolant circuit equipment (the Islamic Republic of Iran) under the pressure buildup to 110 kg/smІ. The testing was carried out in compliance with a commissioning program within the plant.

The hydraulic testing of the secondary coolant circuit is one of the substeps while preparing the power unit to the hot operational testing which is to confirm the efficiency of the primary and auxiliary equipment and reactor facility systems with the imitating active zone, including electrical devices and technical tools of the monitoring and control system.

Safety issues are always of a paramount importance during the construction of nuclear facilities that is why the hydraulic testing and circular washing of the equipment are carried out thoroughly with the fulfillment of all necessary requirements before putting the power units into operation.  NPP Bushehr has successfully passed a series of important tests, including the hydraulic one of the primary coolant circuit under the pressure up to 250 kg/smІ which is 40% higher than the usual working pressure. The hydraulic tests of the primary and secondary coolant circuit confirmed the efficiency of the primary and auxiliary NPP equipment at design parameters.

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JSC Atomstroyexport (JSC ASE) is implementing “turn-key” construction of unit 1 of NPP Bushehr with the installed electric capacity of 1000 MW. The construction of Bushehr NPP was started in 1974 by the German concern Kraftwerk Union AG (Siemens/KWU). In 1980 it cancelled the contract with the Iranian customer due to the decision of the German government to join the American embargo on equipment supplies to Iran. Bushehr NPP is a unique project which has no analogies in the world. JSC Atomstroyexport and its contractors managed to implement the integration of Russian equipment into civil-engineering design, performed according to the German project and use about 12000 tons of German equipment. A huge work has been done to estimate the condition and acceptability of equipment, buildings and structures. Design engineers had to work out and apply a whole number of original technical ideas and know-hows in order to adapt Russian technologies to the facilities already placed on the NPP site. The construction of Bushehr NPP is supervised by IAEA at all stages and complies with the applicable international guidelines, legislation and non-proliferation rate.