Bushehr - Reactor Unit I Construction Site
The Reactor Unit I is currently being built by the Russians for $800-million, and as of early September 2001 was scheduled to be fully complete by early 2004.
The dome of the reactor building consists of a cylindrical shell and hemispherical shell placed on top, each measuring a 60 meter diameter. The steel containment shell is a spherical and measures 56 meters in diameter.
Much of the scaffolding that was present in previous imagery has now been removed as construction to the exterior of the dome has largely been completed.
The exterior remains essentially unchanged from the original German designs including a gantry that is mounted to the outside of the dome and is designed to allow easy access for materials and parts to the reactor dome.
Inside, the reactor building is divided into two containment areas, one formed by the steel containment and the other an outer containment shield. Both are high-pressure parts of the nuclear steam supply system and the spent fuel storage pool and the new fuel store. The German design called for the steel containment shell to be 56 meters in diameter and designed for a pressure of 5.7 bar, it is capable of absorbing the full equilibrium pressure in the case of a design basis accident.The outer shell acts as a barrier against direct radiation from the reactor building and as a protective shield for the reactor plant from ecternal impacts.
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