L-3 Communications MAPPS (L-3 MAPPS) has secured a contract from Electrabel to supply a full scope operator training simulator for the Tihange 1 nuclear power plant in Belgium.
The full scope simulator, which is expected to become operational in the first quarter of 2016, will be equipped with full replica control room panels and will feature L-3’s graphical simulation PC/Windows-based tools for the plant models and instructor station.
To be led by Tractebel Engineering, the engineering arm of Electrabel, the project will see all the plant systems simulating in the Orchid simulation environment, including the reactor, nuclear steam supply systems, balance of plant systems, the electrical AC and DC distribution systems, and I&C systems.
In addition to this, Tractebel’s product FAST will model the electrical grid, including the main generators and transformers.
L-3 MAPPS Power Systems and Simulation vice president of marketing and sales Michael Chatlani said the company has added Electrabel as a new customer that will allow L-3 MAPPS to further strengthen its position in Europe.
"For the next two years, we will work diligently to produce another advanced full scope operator training simulator to ensure that Electrabel experiences the same high degree of customer satisfaction that our other customers are accustomed to," said Chatlani.
Tihange 1 has a 40-year license and was supposed to expire in 2015, but Federal Agency of Nuclear Control on 4 July 2012 has extended the license by ten years until 2015.
Spanning across a 75-hectare site in the Walloon province of Liege, the Tihange nuclear power plant project features three pressurised water reactors (PWR) commissioned respectively in 1975 (962MW Tihange 1), 1983 (1,008MW Tihange 2) and 1985 (1,046MW Tihange 3).
Tihange 1 is equally owned by Electrabel and Electricite de France, while Tihange 2 and Tihange 3 are owned jointly by Electrabel (89.8 %) and SPE (10.2%).
Together these projects have an annual production of around 23 billion kWh, which is around 30% of the electricity generated in Belgium.
Image: Tihange nuclear power plant. Photo: courtesy of L-3 Communications MAPPS.
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