The dome of the inner containment at Akkuyu NPP Unit 2 was lifted into place by a heavy crawler crane on 29 June 2026, completing the formation of the reactor building's hermetic zone.
The dome of the inner containment (VZO) at Unit 2 of the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant was lifted into place by a heavy crawler crane on 29 June 2026. According to the announcement carried by Atom Media, this operation completed the formation of the hermetic (leak-tight) zone of the Unit 2 reactor building. Source
Four months of pre-assembly, 15 sections
According to World Nuclear News, the dome consists of 15 assembly sections made of special structural steel. The pre-assembly work, carried out by joining the sections in an area near the reactor building, took around four months. Source
A load of over 250 tonnes, an operation of about seven hours
As reported by Nuclear Engineering International, the dome tier itself weighs around 215 tonnes, while the total load lifted - including service platforms and sprinkler systems - exceeded 250 tonnes. A special 66-tonne traverse was used for the lift. The lifting and placement operation, performed with a heavy self-propelled crawler crane, took about seven hours, with around 40 specialists involved in the slinging, fixing and balancing work. Source
Next step: the main circulation pipeline
According to Atom Media, following the completion of the hermetic zone, the next major step at Unit 2 will be the welding of the main circulation pipeline that will provide coolant flow. Source
The significance of heavy-lift operations
Lifting structural components weighing hundreds of tonnes in a single piece and placing them with precision is among the most visible engineering operations of nuclear power plant construction. The process extending from the manufacture of components at this scale to their transport to site and their lifting falls within the discipline of nuclear project transportation.
The placement of the inner containment dome and the completion of the hermetic zone were recorded as a key development showing the stage reached in the construction of Akkuyu Unit 2 as of June 2026.