Akkuyu Unit 1 passes pressure tests ahead of reactor hot tests

Hydraulic tests confirming the durability of the secondary circuit at Unit 1 of Türkiye’s first nuclear power plant, Akkuyu, have been successfully completed. All four steam generators were tested at a pressure of 12.6 megapascals.

Hydraulic tests to verify the durability of the secondary circuit at Unit 1 of Akkuyu, Türkiye’s first nuclear power plant under construction in Mersin, have been successfully completed. During the three-day tests, the steam generators, steam fitting blocks and feedwater pipelines were tested under high pressure.

Pressure reached 12.6 megapascals

According to Akkuyu Nuclear AŞ, all four steam generators and their connected pipelines were tested at 12.6 megapascals (MPa), above the normal operating pressure. Before the tests, the steam generators were heated to 126 degrees Celsius, while the water temperature reached 135 degrees Celsius during the tests.

As the pressure was gradually increased, experts checked the equipment’s operating parameters and the tightness of connection points at each stage. After the system was held at the maximum pressure for a period, its pressure was reduced to 10.1 MPa for final inspections.

Technical personnel working in the control room of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant

“Preparation for hot tests can begin”

Sergei Butckikh, general manager of Akkuyu Nuclear AŞ, said the tests had confirmed the durability of the secondary-circuit equipment and the quality of the assembly and welded connections. Butckikh said, “The results obtained allow us to begin preparations for the hot tests of the reactor facility at Unit 1.”

Alongside teams from the Technical Directorate of Akkuyu Nuclear AŞ, technical inspection experts from Rosatom’s electric power division Atomtechenergo and Rosatom Servis AŞ, as well as representatives of the Nuclear Regulatory Authority (NDK), took part in the tests. Hydraulic tests on the primary circuit of Unit 1 had been completed on October 9.

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