Vacuum test of the turbine condenser at Unit 1 of Akkuyu NPP successfully completed

The vacuum test of the turbine condenser at Unit 1 of Turkey's Akkuyu NPP, built by Rosatom, has been completed. The operation confirmed that the main systems of the turbine unit are ready for the next stage of commissioning.

During the test, technicians established the required negative pressure in the condenser, checked the tightness of the vacuum system and the thermomechanical condition of the turbine, while monitoring parameters such as condenser vacuum, steam pressure, bearing temperatures, and thermal expansion of the casing and rotor. During the turning gear rotation of the turbine, the proper operation of the flow path (blades) was confirmed.

Systems involved in the operation included: start-up boiler house boilers, vacuum system, bearing lubrication system, hydraulic jacking oil system, main turning gear, steam supply and extraction systems, as well as the equipment thermomechanical condition monitoring system. The entire operation lasted approximately 6 hours, preceded by several days of preparation.

Sergey Butskikh, General Director of Akkuyu Nükleer, stated: "Commissioning is a series of interconnected verification operations, where each step paves the way for the next. The successful vacuum test of the condenser demonstrates that the main systems of the turbine unit operate under design conditions and are ready to receive steam from the steam generators. This important result confirms that the turbine is highly prepared for the upcoming start-up operations."

The condenser creates negative pressure at the turbine outlet, thereby enabling more efficient use of steam energy and ensuring the reliability of the turbine unit's operation. The next key commissioning stage in the Unit 1 turbine hall will be checking the gas tightness of the turbogenerator.

Akkuyu NPP is the first nuclear power plant under construction in the Republic of Turkey. The project comprises four units featuring Russian Generation 3+ VVER reactor designs, each with an installed capacity of 1,200 MW. This project is the first in the global nuclear industry to be implemented under the "Build-Own-Operate" (BOO) model.