A 223.5-ton crane is currently being installed in the turbine hall of the BREST-OD-300 lead-cooled fast neutron reactor at the Siberian Chemical Combine site in Seversk, located in Russia’s Tomsk Region.
The crane, featuring a double-girder design, boasts a lifting capacity of 280 tons and is set to be positioned at a height of 29.6m. The installation, expected to take six months, demands precision due to the intricate architecture of the machine room building and the crane’s substantial weight and size.
The crane’s primary function is to transport large components such as turbines, generators, and heat exchange equipment. The BREST-OD-300 fast reactor is a significant element of Rosatom‘s Proryv, or Breakthrough, project, which aims to establish a closed nuclear fuel cycle.
Siberian Chemical Combine deputy general director Alexander Gusev said: “The installation of the overhead crane is an important stage in the construction of the power unit … the installation of large-sized equipment in the machine room of the BREST-OD-300 reactor facility is scheduled for 2026.”
This 300MWe unit will serve as the central facility of the Pilot Demonstration Energy Complex at the Siberian Chemical Combine site. The complex is tasked with showcasing an on-site closed nuclear fuel cycle, featuring a facility for the fabrication and re-fabrication of mixed uranium-plutonium nitride nuclear fuel, alongside a used fuel reprocessing facility.
A progress report released in November highlighted several advancements: the construction of the cooling tower, erection of the reactor containment building walls, and installation of the reactor shaft and the enclosing structure of the reactor vessel. The BREST-OD-300 reactor is slated to commence operations in 2026.
Initially, the demonstration unit will focus on performance evaluation, with a shift towards commercial orientation anticipated after approximately 10 years. If successful as a 300MWe (700MWt) unit, plans are in place to develop a larger 1200MWe (2800MWt) version, known as the BR-1200.
