Project Description
Among the weaknesses that have been identified on VVER NPPS during the safety reviews of the Zaporozhe Nuclear Power Plant, one concerns the maintenance of the Polar cranes. Zaprozhye NPP is equipped with polar cranes which at the beginning of this action had already 15 years in service and safety concerns arose when spare parts were not available anymore from the original manufacturers.
This lack of available spare parts concerning brushes, circuit breakers, contactors, electric motors raised safety concerns when dealing with the operation of the units.
Objectives
In order to improve the reliability and the safety of the polar cranes operation, a sufficient supply of spare parts was necessary. The EC decided to include in the TACIS 1997 programme a project to provide the aforementioned spare parts of the safety related systems for the Polar Cranes at Unit 1 to 4.
Considering that some of the spare parts were not available any more in the original manufacturers, they had to be manufactured again.
All required documentation had to be included in the scope of supply.
Project Results
The project was contracted directly with the company Inkla GmbH, Trading & Engineering.
The spare parts have been installed on the polar cranes of Unit 1-4 at Zaporozhye between April and December 2004. Technical documents being received, the Certificate of Provisional Acceptance was issued in April 2004.
The supplied goods have been found in compliance with the contract specification and operated without any failure during the warranty period. The Certificate of Final Acceptance was issued on 28.04.2006.
Replacement of the parts, of which the life time expired, has allowed improving the reliability and the safety of the polar cranes operation in course of the reactor equipment maintenance.