Shortened Nuclear Outage
A shortened turnaround timeline was applied to the reactor and boiler refurbishments needed as part of the nuclear power station’s routine maintenance schedule.
A 20-day turnaround, half the time allowed for a prior project of the same magnitude, was scheduled to conduct the necessary reactor and boiler valve refurbishments. This was the first scheduled outage of a three-year valve maintenance and overhaul contract awarded to TEAM for the five nuclear power generating sites owned by BNFL Magnox Generation.
At Sizewell A, TEAM’s role was to service and repair all the valves and associated parts in the turbine and boiler houses, including the condensers. 160 safety valves, main boiler stop valves and actuator-operating valves, ranging in sizes from 6 inches to 16 inches were serviced. 132 were overhauled, including stripping and lapping the valves, nozzles, discs and seats as well as re-assembling and testing the valves. Only one component had to be taken off site for workshop repairs.
As a result of the successful work completed, TEAM became responsible for all outage and ad hoc valve repair services for the BNFL Magnox nuclear generating sites at Chapelcross, Dungeoness A, Oldbury, Sizewell A, and Wylfa, with potential work at the Bradwell and Hinkley Point A defuelling/ decommissioning sites.
This work may have been performed by a company subsequently acquired by TEAM.
