Balakovo NPP in Russia Conducts Steam Generator O&M Experience Exchange and Technical Support

Recently, at the Balakovo NPP in Saratov Oblast, Russia, a peer support mission focused on steam generator (Steam Generators / Парогенераторы) O&M technology and experience was successfully held. This event was a routine technical exchange organized by the WANO Moscow Centre (WANO-MC / ВАО АЭС-МЦ), aimed at bringing together industry expertise from multiple parties to further enhance the safety and reliability of nuclear power unit operation.

The team participating in this support mission was composed of technical backbone personnel from multiple industry organizations and nuclear power plants, including representatives from the WANO Moscow Centre, frontline engineers from Kalinin NPP and Rostov NPP, as well as experts from JSC OKB Gidropress (АО ОКБ «ГИДРОПРЕСС»), JSC Atomenergoproekt (АО «Атомэнергопроект»), and JSC VNIIAES (АО «ВНИИАЭС»).

During the seminar, Sergey Kuzmin (Сергей Кузьмин), Head of the Chemical Shop at Balakovo NPP, Alexander Bogdanov (Александр Богданов), Water-Chemistry Regime expert at JSC VNIIAES, and Dmitry Safronov (Дмитрий Сафронов), Chief Designer at JSC OKB Gidropress, each delivered specialized reports on the operational status of steam generators, and participants from sister nuclear power plants also shared practical cases of on-site maintenance.

The achievements of Balakovo NPP in controlling the primary and secondary circuit water-chemistry regime (Water-Chemistry Regime / Водно-химический режим) were specifically evaluated. On-site monitoring showed that the content of metal impurities such as iron and copper in the feedwater system has been effectively suppressed and maintained a downward trend, and on this basis the technical team held discussions on specific measures to further optimize the water chemistry mechanism.

Galim Musin (Галим Мусин), Advisor at the WANO Moscow Centre and Head of the Expert Group, stated that this mission was initiated by Balakovo NPP on its own initiative, fully demonstrating its management philosophy of continuously improving production and operation standards. The guidance recommendations formed during the three-day exchange will serve as an important basis for formulating subsequent unit safety operation improvement plans.

One of the key technical resolutions formed during this support mission was to upgrade and optimize the existing steam generator heat exchanger tube (Heat Exchanger Tubes / Теплообменные трубы) condition monitoring equipment and methods in light of cutting-edge industry developments. In addition, all parties agreed to evaluate the feasibility of jointly conducting benchmarking activities at Kalinin NPP, so as to promote the cross-plant reuse of advanced O&M technologies.