SNR 300 fast breeder reactor: steel containment - design, erection, testing

The Kalkar Nuclear Power Plant which is equipped with an 300 MW fast breeder reactor is being built by a Consortium mainly comprising German, Belgian and Dutch companies.The components of the fast breeder reactor are enclosed in a concrete containment which is designed to withstand severe external and internal loading.The concrete enclosure is surrounded by a steel containment which is designed to prevent the release of radioactivity following a postulated accident involving the nuclear components inside the concrete containment.The paper describes the solutions adopted for the different parts of the steel containment, the calculations verifying the suitability of the designs, the erection and the steel containment pressure and leak tests. The tests were performed with successful results in 1984.