Can anyone comment on how a CANDU-6 or 9 stacks up against a VVER-1000?
Adam
Probably not that great -- a CANDU NG might stack up better -- all those PHT D2O drainage & vapour collection & purification systems are avoided by going to an H2O PHT.
The other two major differences of course are lack of on-line refuelling and large, horizontal steam generators in the VVERs (plus the fact that VVERs are generally built with cooling towers, whereas CANDUs are not - since they're built on the shores of large lakes or the ocean).
I think the best web site for viewing some of the general design features of VVERs is the one for Temelin NPP in the Czech Rep. (http://www.cez.cz/jete/ - the site seems to be off line temporarily).
The corresponding CANDU site would be the OPG web site. But there's only basic information, with very little on all the auxiliary & conventional (steam, turbine & condenser) systems, which IMO are the chief cause of the labour-intensiveness of NPPs (and other thermal plants, except perhaps gas turbines), compared to, say, hydroelectric dams.
Not sure what sort of impression one would come away with, if one were to look at the two sites, not having seen anything about NPPs previously.
But I would think its pretty hard to compete against the cheap (component manufacturing & construction) labour of the crew building a VVER, as compared to a CANDU - even taking into account a certain amount of indigenous workforce participation on an international project like China or Romania.
Little wonder countries in Asia (India, China, Iran) are ordering VVERs.....
Jaro