Advanced Construction Methods for New Nuclear Power Plants - NTR2009 Supplement

Relative to coal fired and natural gas fired power plants, nuclear power plants are more expensive to build but less expensive to run. This annex describes advanced construction methods to reduce nuclear power's construction costs, mainly by shortening the time needed to build a plant. Each of the methods described below has been used in one or more of the projects listed in Table IV-1. None is unique to the nuclear industry, nor to any specific nuclear power plant design. Most are also used for other large construction projects such as fossil fuel power plants, large civil construction projects and shipbuilding. * The construction period is generally considered to be the time from the first major pour of concrete for the main plant building to the commercial operation date. ** ABWR = advanced boiling water reactor; EPR = European pressurized water reactor; PHWR = pressurized heavy water reactor; PWR = pressurized water reactor B. Open Top Installation Constraints on installing major components inside the reactor and containment building can have a major impact on the construction schedule. In the past, the walls of the reactor and containment building were constructed with temporary openings to allow the entry of large equipment. In open top installation (Figures IV-1 and IV-2), the reactor and containment building is built with a temporary roof with an opening through which major pieces of equipment, such as the reactor vessel and steam generators, can be lowered into position using very heavy lift (VHL) cranes. Today's VHL cranes can lift equipment weighing more than 1000 tonnes, with very long reach. Once the equipment is placed