The SEZ Technopolis Moscow has developed a robot to work in hazardous areas at nuclear power plants

A device for repairing spent nuclear fuel storage pools of a new type of nuclear power plants has been developed by the Special Design and Technology Bureau of Applied Robotics (SKTB PR) from the special economic zone Technopolis Moscow. In the fall, the first robot will go to the Leningrad NPP-2. As informed by Alexander Prokhorov, Head of the Department of investment and industrial policy of Moscow.

The robotic system uses ultrasound to detect cracks and other defects in the metal sheets of the pool lining, in which the spent nuclear fuel is stored, and then repairs them with welding equipment. The development is intended for servicing a new type of nuclear power plants that are being built with one spent fuel pool, and not two, as before.

“The introduction of a robotic system produced by SKTB PR will provide for significant savings, since a leak from the spent fuel pools can lead to a complete shutdown of the entire nuclear power plant. One day of NPP downtime costs about 100 million Rubles, and repairs can take weeks. The device, developed on the territory of Technopolis, not only speeds up the repair, but also in such cases completely excludes the work of people in the danger zone. The volume of investments in the project amounted to about 140 million Rubles”, specified Alexander Prokhorov.

The possibility to carry out repair works right in the pool proves the uniqueness of the development, shared Gennady Degtev, CEO of SEZ Technopolis Moscow. “The robotic system of SKTB PR can repair waste storage pools without removing nuclear fuel. Also, on the territory of the capital's SEZ, the company has developed unique welding equipment. It enables the robot to repair sheets of pool cladding 2-4 millimeters thick without damage”, noted CEO of Technopolis.