Moscow (Russia)

ZiO-Podolsk JSC, a part of Atomenergomash JSC (a machine-building division of Rosatom State Corporation), has started welding the first girth seam on the half-vessel of the first RITM-200 reactor plant for Chukotka, the fourth serial new-generation nuclear-powered icebreaker.

The first main girth seam will connect the flange and the shell, which are two parts of the reactor vessel. The welding process is performed continuously for 5 days, in three shifts and with the metal being constantly heated to 200 degrees. The girth seam will have 2.8 m diameter and be 150 mm thick. This welded joint will belong to the category 1 seams, so it will be subject to the most stringent requirements during subsequent quality control.

An automatic submerged arc welding is used to weld the vessel of RITM-200 reactor plants. Its main advantages are a high degree of mechanization which minimizes human error; high welding capacity; good protection of the weld pool against the impact of the ambient air and low electrode metal loss factor.

Enterprises of Atomenergomash JSC provide the entire chain of production of the RITM-200 nuclear engine – from design and production of workpieces to manufacturing and installation of equipment. OKBM Afrikantov JSC acts as a designer and single-source manufacturer.

Rosatom is the only company in the world that has the resources and competencies to offer energy solutions across the nuclear supply chain. It possesses a wide range of assets, including assets in design, construction and operation of nuclear power stations, uranium mining, conversion and enrichment, supply of nuclear fuel, decommissioning, spent fuel storage and transportation and safe nuclear waste disposal. Rosatom is also engaged in the production of equipment and isotope products for the needs of nuclear medicine, scientific research, and materials science, the production of digital and of various nuclear and non-nuclear innovative products. The company’s strategy is to develop low-carbon power generation projects, including in the wind generation field.