Neckarwestheim nuclear power plant: unit II reconnected to the grid after inspection
Neckarwestheim. Unit II of the Neckarwestheim nuclear power plant (GKN II) has been reconnected to the grid since last Saturday (12 October 2013) following its annual inspection. Inspection and maintenance tasks, several technical projects and the replacement of fuel elements have been carried out at the plant in recent weeks.
“We once again carried out extensive maintenance and modernisation work as part of this year’s inspection which is evidence of our constant and systematic investment in safety at our nuclear power plants,” explained Christoph Heil, Technical Director at Neckarwestheim.
Inspection programme successfully implemented
“The inspection programme involving a total of over 2,900 individual tasks has been successfully completed,” remarked Gerd-Josef Engel, manager of Unit II. He said: “This is the result of extremely effective collaboration, in some cases over many years, between EnBW employees and the technical staff of manufacturing and specialist companies.” Over 1200 additional experts from external partner companies were also present on site during the inspection. The 2013 inspection focused on the complete overhaul of one of three main cooling water pumps as well as work on components – such as pumps and valves – on one of the four residual heat removal systems. A processing system which feeds purified water to the cooling tower was also modernised.
The inspection work was carried out under the supervision of Baden-Württemberg’s Ministry of the Environment, Climate Protection and the Energy Sector and was overseen by experts working on behalf of the ministry from the TÜV and KeTAG (Kerntechnik-Gutachterarbeits¬gemeinschaft Baden-Württemberg (Baden-Württemberg Expert Working Group on Nuclear Technology)).
Unit II of the Neckarwestheim nuclear power plant is a pressurised-water reactor with power output of 1,400 megawatts. The plant was commissioned in 1989 and produced over 11 billion kilowatt hours of electricity in 2012.
Unit II is operated by EnBW Kernkraft GmbH (EnKK). EnKK gives top priority to safety during the operation and post-operation phases as well as during the decommissioning and dismantling of nuclear power plants in Baden-Württemberg. EnKK generates power with nuclear power plants in Neckarwestheim and Philippsburg (GKN II and KKP 2). There are also additional plants at both sites which no longer produce power (GKN I and KKP 1). EnKK is currently preparing for the dismantling of these decommissioned plants. Since 2008, good progress has been achieved with the dismantling of the nuclear power plant at the Obrigheim site.