Unit 5 of Russia's Novovoronezh Nuclear Power Plant Enters Scheduled Maintenance

At 4:22 a.m. local time on August 28, Unit 5 of Russia's Novovoronezh Nuclear Power Plant was disconnected from the grid in accordance with the annual plan, entering scheduled preventive maintenance. The maintenance period is expected to last 35 days, after which the unit will be reconnected to the grid.

Novovoronezh Nuclear Power Plant is a branch of Rosenergoatom, the Russian nuclear power plant operator, which is part of the Rosatom state corporation. During the maintenance period, the plant and the contractor Atomenergoremont will carry out minor, medium, and major repairs on main and auxiliary equipment, as well as implement modernization of some equipment.

Key tasks of this maintenance include cleaning the heat exchange tubes of the turbine generator condenser. This work is directly related to the unit's thermal efficiency and also helps reduce the risk of operational failures. Meanwhile, Unit 5 will also undergo reactor core refueling, with some spent fuel assemblies to be replaced by new fuel assemblies.

In terms of equipment modernization, maintenance personnel will replace the oil coolers in the lubrication system of the turbine-driven feed pumps. The new equipment features a larger heat exchange area, which will improve bearing cooling performance. To complete all maintenance tasks on schedule, Atomenergoremont has deployed over 480 professional personnel from various branches to the site.

Currently, Units 4, 6, and 7 of Novovoronezh Nuclear Power Plant are in normal operation, carrying a load of 2,700 MW in accordance with the dispatch schedule. The plant stated that no unit has violated safety operating limits and conditions, and the radiation levels around the site are consistent with the natural background levels of Voronezh Oblast.

Scheduled preventive maintenance is routine work carried out annually at Russian nuclear power plants, primarily aimed at ensuring reliable unit operation and improving equipment performance. Novovoronezh Nuclear Power Plant is Russia's first nuclear power plant to use water-water energetic reactors (VVER), with seven VVER units having been constructed and put into operation at the site over the years.