EnBW Kernkraft (EnKK) has reconnected Unit II of the Neckarwestheim nuclear power plant (GKN II) to the grid, following completion of its annual inspection.
Carried out under supervision of Baden-Württemberg’s Ministry of the Environment, Climate Protection and the Energy Sector, the inspection process involved maintenance tasks, several technical projects and the replacement of the unit’s fuel elements.
Specific work included complete overhaul of one of three main cooling water pumps, apart from work on pumps and valves on one of the four residual heat removal systems, as well as modernization of a processing system that feeds purified water to the cooling tower.
Neckarwestheim technical director Christoph Heil said, ”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.”
Unit II manager Gerd-Josef Engel 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.”
Operated by EnKK, the Unit II is a pressurised-water reactor (PWR) with power output of 1,400MW.
Commissioned in 1989, the Neckarwestheim nuclear power plant has produced more than 11 billion kWh of electricity in 2012.