Ascó II Nuclear Power Plant Begins 31st Fuel Refueling with a 27.5 Million Euro Investment

The operation, lasting several weeks, includes replacing a third of the fuel elements and numerous technical improvements.

Image of nuclear reactor fuel elements during a refueling.
IA

Image of nuclear reactor fuel elements during a refueling.

The Ascó II nuclear power plant has commenced its 31st fuel refueling, a process that comes one year and five months after the last shutdown and involves an investment of 27.5 million euros.

This operation anticipates approximately 11,000 work orders and the replacement of more than one-third of the fuel elements that make up the reactor core. To carry out these tasks, over a thousand additional professionals with diverse profiles will be required.
More than 90% of the scheduled actions correspond to inspection and maintenance tasks, in addition to facility improvement activities that can only be performed when the plant is shut down. These include 21 physical design modifications and seven software modifications, all related to different plant systems.
During this shutdown, significant interventions will be carried out, such as the replacement of the reactor coolant pump (BRR) 'B' motor, the general overhaul of the BRR 'C' seals, and high-pressure jet cleaning of the secondary circuit side of the steam generators. It also includes laser profilometry inspection of the thermal sleeves of the reactor vessel head and remote visual inspection of the exterior of the vessel head.
One of the most relevant tests to be conducted is that of the containment spray system, an activity performed every ten years, in accordance with international operating experience and the plant's technical operating specifications.