OREANDA-NEWS. AREVA NP has been awarded a contract to modernize parts of the instrumentation and control (I&C) system of the Doel 1 and 2 nuclear reactors* operated by the Belgian utility Electrabel. The systems concerned connect the emergency systems building with the plant’s I&C. The operator will be able to monitor and control the plant from the protected facility, if the normal control room should not be operable.

The scope of the project is worth about 15 million euros and comprises the installation of twenty new cabinets. Using its proven TELEPERM®XS technology, AREVA NP will design the I&C system and manufacture the cabinets at its Erlangen site in Germany where the testing works will take place. Delivery to site, installation and commissioning are scheduled for the outage of unit 2 in 2018 and of unit 1 in 2019.

"The contract for Doel 1 and 2 proves that we are a valuable partner for safety I&C retrofit projects, and it demonstrates our capability to competitively address specific customer needs. We can rely on our well-proven digital TELEPERM®XS technology that has already been installed in or ordered for 16 different reactor designs in more than 80 plants in 16 countries", said Martin Winkler, in charge of I&C Sales & Marketing at AREVA NP.

• Doel 1 and 2 are pressurized water reactors with an installed net capacity of 433 megawatts each. The units started operation in 1974 and 1975, respectively. In 2015, Belgium authorities decided to extend their operational licenses until 2025.