News

Weir Valves & Controls UK Ltd has recently completed the design and manufacture of main steam isolation valves for the phase two extension of the Qinshan Nuclear Power Station in China.

With a diameter of 750mm and weighing 13.75 tonnes, the isolation valves stand five metres tall and are the largest ever designed and built by Weir Valves and Controls UK Ltd at its West Yorkshire manufacturing facility in Elland.

Having recently completed factory acceptance testing, the valves are scheduled for installation at Qinshan in May this year, with commissioning planned for May 2010.

The valves, which are the parallel slide gate design, isolate saturated steam with the sole purpose of protecting the steam generators in the unlikely event of a pipe break down stream of the valve.   The Hopkinsons valve closes within five seconds should a pipe break be detected, protecting the steam generator and preventing any major safety issues.

Peter O’Reilly, sales and marketing director at Weir Valves & Controls UK Ltd said: ‘The supply of these valves for Qinshan demonstrates our ongoing ability to provide equipment to meet the highest specifications within the nuclear industry. In addition, our average project lead times are now are industry leading timescales.”

Weir Valves & Controls UK Ltd has many years experience designing and building valves for the nuclear industry, including supplying the UK’s only pressurised water reactor at Sizewell B. Its valves are currently being used on many American, UK, French and Chinese operational nuclear plants.