Connection to the electrical network and maintenance
Unit II of the Almaraz nuclear power plant, located in Cáceres, has been connected to the electrical grid after the completion of the work corresponding to its twenty-eighth refueling and general maintenance work. This milestone marks the beginning of a new operating cycle, specifically the twenty-ninth, of this unit, as reported by the owner of the facility.
Refueling and workplace safety
The refueling has been successfully completed, being the sixth consecutive without work accidents, and meeting the program dose and duration objectives. More than 1,200 additional workers joined the usual workforce of some 70 specialized collaborating companies to carry out the scheduled activities, most of them coming from around the plant.
Plant maintenance and improvements
In addition to the replacement of more than a third of the fuel elements in the reactor core, nearly 13,000 work orders have been executed, including maintenance activities, plant improvements and the implementation of 27 design modifications, some of them related with requirements and commitments to the Nuclear Safety Council.
Featured projects
Among the most relevant projects of this recharge, the eddy current inspection of all the tubes of steam generator 1, the replacement of 3 6.3kV motors and the major revisions of 3 6.3kV switches stand out. Likewise, 26 diagnoses of motorized valves and 22 diagnoses of pneumatic valves have been carried out.
Contribution to electricity generation
Unit II of the Almaraz nuclear power plant has exceeded the figure of 300 million MWh since the beginning of its commercial operation in 1983. With an average annual production of more than 8 million MWh in the last decade, this unit generates more 3 percent of the annual electricity demand of all of Spain, equivalent to the annual consumption of two million homes.