The enemy is targeting Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Almost 7,000 MW lost. Therefore, we already have a significant shortage of generation, which we have to import during peak hours.
In such conditions, more than ever, it is necessary to accelerate all processes that contribute to increasing the installed generation capacity, as well as to fight for every additional kWh produced from existing sources.
What is happening “inside” Energoatom?
One of the nuclear power plants subordinate to it, namely the Khmelnitsky NPP, has two power units with a capacity of 1000 MW each.
The second unit operates the K-1000-60/3000 turbine unit, which was produced 20 years ago at LMZ (JSC Power Machines, Russian Federation). It was supposed to work for at least 30 years, but... it broke...
The accident occurred in the spring of 2022. The blades of the high pressure cylinder were destroyed and the rotor was bent.
The accident investigation commission established the guilt of the analogous Russian manufacturer: “... the root cause of the destruction of the 5th stage of the left flow of the HPC rotor was open defects that were allowed by the manufacturer and existing non-metallic inclusions in the metal structure of the HPC rotor disks...”.
It has also been established that these defects do not allow the rotor to be repaired with full restoration of the design characteristics of the turbine unit, and the only guaranteed solution is to replace the damaged rotor.
What to do? Of course, change the rotor!
And who in the current realities can make it? That's right - a domestic manufacturer with extensive experience - Ukrainian Energy Machines JSC (formerly Turboatom JSC). And it takes part in the tender and offers an absolutely adequate price - 298 million UAH. (excluding VAT) for repairs.
But how can Galushchenko’s team conduct purchases without earning at least something? They need a rotor at a price of 583 million UAH. (without VAT), so the Derkachiv gop-company simply “knocks out” JSC “Ukrainian Energy Machines” from bidding
This is all despite the fact that the wartime procedure allowed them to conclude a direct contract, without a tender, as for example here
As a result, it was decided not to buy a new rotor, but to restore the old one.
To do this, we entered into an agreement with Doosan Škoda Power. Using a machine from the Burshtyn TPP, we aligned the rotor on both sides and installed a diaphragm to balance its left and right sides.
At the same time, Doosan Škoda Power warned that this solution was temporary and provided a guarantee of rotor operation for 1 year at a maximum power of 800 MW (this is minus 200 MW of the installed capacity).
Even under such conditions, the optimal solution would be to operate the rotor temporarily, go through the winter of 2022-2023, and in warmer times, when the power system consumption drops, go for repairs and install a new rotor.
But of all the options, Derkachiv residents always choose the one that brings the greatest damage to the industry.
So they decided to make cosmetic repairs and continue to use the half-dead rotor, not caring about the possible consequences, “by a willful decision” accelerating the turbine to almost 900 MW
Naturally, the vibration from the crooked rotor completely destroyed the bearing and damaged the diaphragms... On 03/13/2024 at 17:48, the KhNPP power unit No. 2 with a load of 890 MW (!) was emergency stopped... which, by the way, fully experimentally confirms the correctness of the established restrictions.
No comments...
Do you think this time the team rushed to order a new central venous pump?
Hell no! They stopped, replaced the bearing, pushed the turbine again and reported on another labor feat.
But there is a nuance - the second power unit of the KhNPP currently produces only 615 MW. That is, before we were losing 170 MW of power, and now we are losing 385 MW.
Underproduction is a lost benefit for NNEGC Energoatom and the bombed-out Ukrainian energy system, which already has a deficit.
And all because someone really wanted to earn a couple hundred million.
There is no rotor, there are no agreements, nothing has been done in two years.
The moral of the story is simple and complex at the same time.
The operation of a nuclear power plant is strictly regulated actions that cannot be adjusted by statements of the Minister and forced operation of equipment beyond design capabilities. This leads to major accidents and, as a consequence, significant losses in the Ukrainian energy system.
The minister and the team constantly emphasize how great they are and how they provide energy to our country, while, for the sake of personal PR, they force the plant personnel to operate power units beyond the design capabilities of the equipment.
They also do not forget about corruption in procurement, even if this carries great risks for the operation of generation.
As for the initiators who are destroying the nuclear industry of Ukraine, they should have been removed from their positions long ago, and their planned actions to shut down the power units of Ukrainian nuclear power plants must be urgently given a legal assessment and, preferably, according to wartime laws.
After concrete at the price of diamonds and cables at the price of gold, which NNEGC Energoatom can afford, the news about the loss of 350 MW of capacity does not look so shocking, but the miscalculations of the energy management are becoming bloodier for us every day. Because these are again crazy funds that will simply be “late” and will not go to our defense!
Against this background, the Galushchenko Ministry of Lost Capacity is generating news about the construction of new nuclear power plant units and the construction of small modular nuclear reactors. This decorates his Facebook account, but is very harmful to the image and economy of Ukraine.
We will all feel the impact of the wise management decisions of this Ministry in the form of rolling blackouts already in May of this year.
But Ukraine will still win, not thanks to, but in spite of...
