Joint Stock Company Atomstroyexport beyond doubt proposes its customers unique services. The company offers construction management of modern nuclear power plants adhering to international standards as well as reconstruction and modernization of the older plants.
Company profile
JSC «Atomstroyexport» (JSC ASE) was established in 1998 on the basis of the Decision of the Ministry of Atomic Power. The aim of the new JSC ASE was to stimulate export activity of production establishments. Two large enterprises with almost 50 years of experience in the nuclear power industry, specifically JSC «Atomenergoproekt» and VPO «Zarubezhatomenergostroy», formed the foundation of the company. Today JSC ASE, a chief engineering company of state-owned corporation Rosatom, specializes in construction of nuclear facilities in the foreign countries. Presently, JSC «Atomstroyexport» (JSC ASE) is a leading Russian company subordinated to State Atomic Energy Corporation «Rosatom» implementing intergovernmental and commercial agreements on construction of nuclear power plants abroad. At present day JSC «Atomstroyexport» is the company implementing in parallel contracts on construction of five NPP power units with VVER-1000 reactors. In India «Kudankulam» NPP (two power units), in Iran – «Bushehr» NPP (one power unit) are under construction. In Bulgaria the work on the project of «Belene» NPP construction (two power units) is in progress. In September, 2009 in China the warranty period of Tianwan NPP operation (two power units) had been completed, that has given a cogent advantage – reference - to the company as compared to its competitors. Among the strengths of JSC ASE its experience as the leader of nuclear industry, up to date management system and modern technologies can be listed. These factors allow to execute immense and exceptional projects: those gained through intergovernmental agreements and those won as open international tenders. JSC «Atomstroyexport» builds nuclear power plants of new generation with enhanced level of safety, the company also constantly works on improvement of its projects and draws on unique Russian technologies. JSC ASE collaborates with about three hundred domestic companies, which are engaged in the realization of each project executed by Atomstroyexport. Among the company’s partners there are Russian Research Center Kurchatov Institute, JSC OKB Gidropress, Moscow and St.Petersburg Institutes Atomenergoproekt (AEP), Concern Power Machines, JSC «Izhora Plants» and many others – all organizations are internationally recognized leaders in their specific field. Basing on their unmatched scientific and engineering experience those companies provide assistance necessary in the process of implementation of NPP construction projects, ensuring compliance with the international standards. In the process of realization of contracts JSC ASE closely cooperates with designers and industrial organizations based in the consumer countries relaying on them in terms of supplies, equipment, materials, and work force. Atomstroyexport has good business relations with such global manufacturers and developers as Siemens, AREVA NP, NUKEM GmbH. All projects comply with the state program «Clean Energy» and conform to Russian ecological standards, international requirements and IAEA recommendations. All company practices are carried out in accordance with the international standards ISO 9001:2008, ISO 14001:2004, OHSAS 18001:2007. JSC ASE promotess safe, ecologically friendly and economically viable nuclear power facilities. Atomstroyexport uses the light water reactor installations of VVER type for construction of nuclear power plants. VVER type reactors are considered to be one of the most dependable and secure. VVER reactors were designed to include the most highly developed approaches to safety provision based on the principle of defense in depth and assuming several sequentially responding safety levels. JSC ASE utilizes modern funding systems in the process of construction. Nowadays the construction of nuclear power plants and corresponding infrastructure is becoming more indispensable. The number of countries interested in nuclear energy is growing, but few of them have funds necessary for investment on such scale and for such periods of time. That is why different financing options are required including those of public and private financial sources. Construction of a nuclear power plant is a lengthy process requiring large capital investments, in such situations public funds are often insufficient. Therefore, nuclear energy project financing draws on such schemes as BOOT (build - own - operate - transfer), BOT (build - own - transfer) and BOO (build - own - operate). The first project realized in this new for the nuclear industry format will be the construction of four-unit plant at Akkuyu site in Antalya Turkey.
Projects
Among the completed projects the most noteworthy construction of Tainawan Nuclear Power Plant in China. In 2007 the first power and second units were taken over by the customer. The two-year period of the guarantee operation for both units ended in 2009. During this time a reliable and safe operation of the station was confirmed. The plant has been constructed to the AES-91/99 design. Power plants consists of the reactor plant with reactor VVER-1000/B-428. The unit is in compliance with the international policies on nuclear safety and radiation emission. The reactor building is protected by double containment. The internal hermetic containment is responsible for elimination of radiation emission to the environment. The external containment function is to protect the reactor from detrimental external impact. There is a trap installed under the reactor shell which is responsible for maintenance and cooling of the melted core. In case of any accident the melted core is supposed to be sealed by the trap in order to prevent the destruction of foundation under the shell and reactor building. The trap utilized at Tianwan NPP is based on a unique technology unmatched in the world’s practice of NPP construction. The company is working on construction of a power unit at Bushehr NPP in Iran. In fact, JSC ASE continues construction on base of Bushehr NPP which was started by Germans in 1974. Atomstroyexport was able to utilize a large amount of German equipment. The reactor room had to be redesigned in order to fit new VVER-1000 reactor. The changes in the layout of the plant were successfully implemented making Bushehr NPP the example of the vast possibilities of JSC «Atomstroyexport». JSC ASE is engaged in the construction of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in India. The design of the plant corresponds to the model AES-92. The main advantages of the model are use of the highly developed equipment and implementation of the supplementary passive protection systems together with the usual active systems. Such design improves reliability of the nuclear power plant which incorporates two VVER-1000/B-412 power units. The reactor unit is covered by the dual containment vessel which prevents the release of radiation into the environment and guards the reactor against various external impacts. Such safety system ensures protection against such natural disasters as earthquakes of magnitude up to 7 points on the Richter scale, tornados, and hurricanes, the system also guards against the impact of blast wave with front pressure up to 30 kPa, aircraft crash and the like. In 2006 the National Electric Company of the Republic of Bulgaria formally granted Atomstroyexport the tender for construction of the Belene Nuclear Power Plant. The design of the plant is based on model AES-92 comprised of two VVER-1000/B-466 power units. This design guarantees superior technical and economic possibilities as a result of reduced idle time and amplified life-span of the chief equipment up to 60 years. Moreover, the design of Belene NPP corresponds to all IAEA recommendations and the international safety requirements, making Belene NPP the embodiment a successful combination of Russian and European nuclear engineering technologies. At present JSC ASE is also engaged in the domestic power projects such as construction and modernization of thermal power facilities. In 2009 the company was granted the tender for construction of Yuzhnouralsk GRES-2. The first unit of Yuzhnouralsk GRES-2 is scheduled to be transferred to the customer in the last quarter of 2012. As for the future projects the company already signed a few memorandums to be realized in the following years. In November 2009 Atomstroyexport signed a memorandum of Understanding with Czech and Slovak companies engaged in the field of construction of nuclear power plants about the possibility of cooperation in the process of construction nuclear power plants with VVER type reactors on the territories of Czech Republic, Russia and third countries. Czech-Russian Consortium Scoda JS a.s., JSC «Atomstroyexport» and JSC ОКB GIDROPRESS have handed over the qualification documents for the project of Temelin NPP completion, power units 3, 4 to the Czech Power Company (CEZ). In April 2009 a memorandum of cooperation in building nuclear power plants in China was signed. The newly constructed plant will be supplied with fast neutron reactors of BN-800 type. Atomstroyexport was appointed the coordinator of the BN-800 project in the Peoples Republic of China from the Russian side At the moment the amount of work and funding necessary for the project is being estimated. In October 2008, Rosatom and the Chinese corporation JNPC signed a memorandum of cooperation on the construction of third and fourth power units of Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant and of a fast neutron reactor commercial purposes. In May 2010 in Ankara an Agreement was signed between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Republic of Turkey on Cooperation in Relation to the Construction and Operation of the Nuclear Power Plant at Akkuyu Site on the Territory of the Republic of Turkey. Atomstroyexport was chosen the chief contractor for the construction of nuclear power plant.
Written by Elena Rozhko
