Nuclear power in Russia

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Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant

Russia is one of the world's largest producers of nuclear energy. In 2020 total electricity generated in nuclear power plants in Russia was 215.746 TWh, 20.28% of all power generation.[1] The installed gross capacity of Russian nuclear reactors is 29.4 GW in December 2020.

Recent history[edit]

In accord with legislation passed in 2001, all Russian civil reactors are operated by Energoatom. More recently in 2007 Russian Parliament adopted the law "On the peculiarities of the management and disposition of the property and shares of organizations using nuclear energy and on relevant changes to some legislative acts of the Russian Federation", which created Atomenergoprom - a holding company for all Russian civil nuclear industry, including Energoatom, nuclear fuel producer and supplier TVEL, uranium trader Tekhsnabexport (Tenex) and nuclear facilities constructor Atomstroyexport.

Global status of nuclear deployment as of 2017 (source: see file description)
  Operating reactors, building new reactors

The overnight cost of construction in the seventies was a low 800 $/kW in 2016 dollars.[2] In 2019 a S&P Global Ratings report stated Russia's nuclear construction costs were well below European levels because of vertical integration, good learning-curve effects from serial production, and the large currency devaluation of 2014.[3]

The Russian nuclear industry employs around 200,000 people.[4] Russia is recognized for its nuclear disaster expertise and for the safety of its technology. Statements made in review of Russian reactor safety [8] that "Requirements on placing the nuclear installation should not contain additional restrictions in comparison with other industrial facilities," suggest that nuclear plants could be placed within cities and are not considered to pose exceptional dangers. Shattering the Shackles of Powerlessness: The Debate Surrounding the Anti-Nazi Boycott of 1933-41[5][6][7][8] Russia is also pursuing an ambitious plan to increase sales of Russian-built reactors overseas,[9] and had 39 reactors under construction or planned overseas as of 2018.[10]

The VVER-1200 pressurised water reactor is the system currently offered for construction, being an evolution of the VVER-1000 with increased power output to about 1200 MWe (gross) and providing additional passive safety features.[11] In August 2016 the first VVER-1200, Novovoronezh II-1, was connected to the grid.[12]

Through its membership in the multi-nation ITER project, Russia participates in the design of nuclear fusion reactors.

In 2013 the Russian state allocated 80.6 billion rubles ($2.4 billion) toward the growth of its nuclear industry, especially export projects where Russian companies build, own and operate the power station, such as the Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant.[13]

In 2016 initial plans were announced to build 11 new nuclear power reactors by 2030, including the first VVER-600, a smaller two cooling circuit version of the VVER-1200, designed for smaller regions and markets.[14] Outline plans for near-surface disposal facilities for low and intermediate-level waste, and deep burial disposal facilities for high-level waste were also approved in the Krasnoyarsk Krai region.[14]

In October 2017 Rosatom was reported to be considering postponing commissioning new nuclear plants in Russia due to excess generation capacity and that new nuclear electricity prices are higher than for existing plant. The Russian government is considering reducing support for new nuclear under its support contracts, called Dogovor Postavki Moshnosti (DPM), which guarantee developers a return on investment through increased payments from consumers for 20 years.[15] In 2019 a S&P Global Ratings report stated that "We expect domestic nuclear capacity to increase only moderately because electricity demand in Russia is stagnating, given only modest GDP growth, a significant potential for energy savings, and the government's intention to avoid raising electricity prices through additional increases in capacity payments".[3]

Russia's first-floating nuclear power plant, Akademik Lomonosov, is equipped to provide power to a remote Russian town on the Bering Strait. The nuclear unit features small modular reactors (SMRs) technology.[16]

Nuclear power reactors[edit]

Reactors in operation[edit]

Eleven of Russia's reactors are of the RBMK 1000 type, similar to the one at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Some of these RBMK reactors were originally to be shut down but have instead been given life extensions and uprated in output by about 5%. Critics say that these reactors are of an "inherently unsafe design", which cannot be improved through upgrades and modernization, and some reactor parts are impossible to replace. Russian environmental groups say that the lifetime extensions "violate Russian law, because the projects have not undergone environmental assessments".[17]

Control room of a VVER-1000 in 2009, Kozloduy Unit 5
Plant
name
Unit
No.
Type Model Status Capacity
(MW)
Begin
building
Commercial
operation
Closed
Akademik Lomonosov 1 PWR KLT-40S Operational 32 15 Apr 2007 19 Dec 2019[18]
2 PWR KLT-40S Operational 32 15 Apr 2007 19 Dec 2019
Balakovo 1 PWR VVER-1000/V-320 Operational 950 1 Dec 1980 23 May 1986
2 PWR VVER-1000/V-320 Operational 950 1 Aug 1981 18 Jan 1988
3 PWR VVER-1000/V-320 Operational 950 1 Nov 1982 8 Apr 1989
4 PWR VVER-1000/V-320 Operational 950 1 Apr 1984 22 Dec 1993
Beloyarsk 1 LWGR AMB-100 Shut down 102 1 Jun 1958 26 Apr 1964 1 Jan 1983
2 LWGR AMB-200 Shut down 146 1 Jan 1962 1 Dec 1969 1 Jan 1990
3 SFR BN-600 Operational 560 1 Jan 1969 1 Nov 1981
4 SFR BN-800 Operational 789 18 Jul 2006 10 Dec 2015
5 SFR BN-1200 Planned 1100
Bilibino 1 LWGR EGP-6 Shut down 11 1 Jan 1970 1 Apr 1974 14 Jan 2019
2 LWGR EGP-6 Operational 11 1 Jan 1970 1 Feb 1975
3 LWGR EGP-6 Operational 11 1 Jan 1970 1 Feb 1976
4 LWGR EGP-6 Operational 11 1 Jan 1970 1 Jan 1977
Kalinin 1 PWR VVER-1000/V-338 Operational 950 1 Feb 1977 12 Jun 1985
2 PWR VVER-1000/V-338 Operational 950 1 Feb 1982 3 Mar 1987
3 PWR VVER-1000/V-320 Operational 950 1 Oct 1985 8 Nov 2005
4 PWR VVER-1000/V-320 Operational 950 1 Aug 1986 25 Dec 2012
Kaliningrad 1 PWR VVER-1200/V-491 Under construction
(suspended)[19]
1109 22 Feb 2012
2 PWR VVER-1200/V-491 Planned 1109
Kola 1 PWR VVER-440/V-230 Operational 441 1 May 1970 28 Dec 1973
2 PWR VVER-440/V-230 Operational 441 1 May 1970 21 Feb 1975
3 PWR VVER-440/V-213 Operational 441 1 Apr 1977 3 Dec 1982
4 PWR VVER-440/V-213 Operational 441 1 Aug 1976 6 Dec 1984
Kola II[19][20] 1 PWR VVER-S-600 Planned 600 (2028) (2034)
2 PWR VVER-S-600 Planned 600 (2028) (2034)
Kostroma 1 PWR VVER-1200 Unfinished; restart planned 1300 1979
2 PWR VVER-1200 Unfinished; restart planned 1300 1979
3 PWR VVER-1200 Unfinished; restart planned 1300 1979
4 PWR VVER-1200 Unfinished; restart planned 1300 1979
Kursk 1 LWGR RBMK-1000 Shut down 925 1 Jun 1972 12 Oct 1977 19 Dec 2021
2 LWGR RBMK-1000 Shut down 925 1 Jan 1973 17 Aug 1979 31 Jan 2024[21]
3 LWGR RBMK-1000 Operational 925 1 Apr 1978 30 Mar 1984
4 LWGR RBMK-1000 Operational 925 1 May 1981 5 Feb 1986
Kursk II 1 PWR VVER-TOI/V-510 Under construction 1115 29 Apr 2018
2 PWR VVER-TOI/V-510 Under construction 1115 15 Apr 2019[22]
3 PWR VVER-TOI Planned 1115
4 PWR VVER-TOI Planned 1115
Leningrad 1 LWGR RBMK-1000 Shut down 925 1 Mar 1970 1 Nov 1974 21 Dec 2018[23]
2 LWGR RBMK-1000 Shut down 925 1 Jun 1970 11 Feb 1976 10 Nov 2020
3 LWGR RBMK-1000 Operational 925 1 Dec 1973 29 Jun 1980
4 LWGR RBMK-1000 Operational 925 1 Feb 1975 29 Aug 1981
Leningrad II[24] 1 PWR VVER-1200/V-491 Operational 1085 25 Oct 2008 29 Oct 2018
2 PWR VVER-1200/V-491 Operational 1085 15 Apr 2010 22 Mar 2021
3 PWR VVER-1200 Planned 1085 (2024)[25] (2030)
4 PWR VVER-1200 Planned 1085 (2025) (2032)
MPEB No. 1[26][27][28] 1 PWR RITM-200S Under construction 53 30 Aug 2022[29] (2027)
2 PWR RITM-200S Under construction 53 30 Aug 2022[29] (2027)
MPEB No. 2 1 PWR RITM-200S Planned 53 (2022) (2027)
2 PWR RITM-200S Planned 53 (2022) (2027)
MPEB No. 3 1 PWR RITM-200S Planned 53 (2022) (2028)
2 PWR RITM-200S Planned 53 (2022) (2028)
MPEB No. 4 1 PWR RITM-200S Planned 53 (2022) (2031)
2 PWR RITM-200S Planned 53 (2022) (2031)
Nizhny Novgorod 1 PWR VVER-1200 Planned 1300
2 PWR VVER-1200 Planned 1300
3 PWR VVER-1200 Planned 1300
4 PWR VVER-1200 Planned 1300
Novovoronezh 1 PWR VVER/V-210 Shut down 197 1 Jul 1957 31 Dec 1964 16 Feb 1988
2 PWR VVER/V-365 Shut down 336 1 Jun 1964 14 Apr 1970 29 Aug 1990
3 PWR VVER-440/V-179 Shut down 385 1 Jul 1967 29 Jun 1972 25 Dec 2016
4 PWR VVER 440/V-179 Operational 385 1 Jul 1967 24 Mar 1973
5 PWR VVER-1000/V-187 Operational 950 1 Mar 1974 20 Feb 1981
Novovoronezh II 1 PWR VVER-1200/V-392M Operational 1114 24 Jun 2008 27 Feb 2017
2 PWR VVER-1200/V-392M Operational 1114 12 Jul 2009 6 Nov 2019
3 PWR VVER-1200 Planned 1175
4 PWR VVER-1200 Planned 1175
Obninsk 1 LWGR AM-1 Shut down 5 1 Jan 1951 1 Dec 1954 29 Apr 2002
Rostov 1 PWR VVER-1000/V-320 Operational 950 1 Sep 1981 25 Dec 2001
2 PWR VVER-1000/V-320 Operational 950 1 May 1983 10 Dec 2010
3 PWR VVER-1000/V-320 Operational 950 15 Sep 2009 27 Dec 2014
4 PWR VVER-1000/V-320 Operational 1011 16 Jun 2010 28 Sep 2018
Sakha 1 PWR RITM-200N Planned 55 (2024)[30] (2028)
Seversk 1 FBR BREST-300 Under construction 280 8 Jun 2021[31] (2026)
South Urals 1 FBR BN-1200 Unfinished; restart planned 1100 1982
2 FBR BN-1200 Unfinished; restart planned 1100 1982
3 FBR BN-1200 Unfinished; restart planned 1100 1982
Smolensk 1 LWGR RBMK-1000 Operational 925 1 Oct 1975 30 Sep 1983
2 LWGR RBMK-1000 Operational 925 1 Jun 1976 2 Jul 1985
3 LWGR RBMK-1000 Operational 925 1 May 1984 12 Oct 1990
Smolensk II[32][33] 1 PWR VVER-TOI Planned 1300
2 PWR VVER-TOI Planned 1300
Tatar 1 PWR VVER-1200 Unfinished; restart planned 1300 1980
2 PWR VVER-1200 Unfinished; restart planned 1300 1980

International projects[edit]

Country NPP Reactor Type MWe net MWe gross Construction start Commercially operational
Bangladesh Ruppur-1 VVER-1200/523 1080 1200 2017-11-30 2024
Ruppur-2 VVER-1200/523 1080 1200 2018-07-14 2025
Belarus Belarusian-1 VVER-1200/491 1110 1194 2013-11-08 2021-06-10
Belarusian-2 VVER-1200/491 1110 1194 2014-06-03 2023
China Tianwan-1 VVER-1000/428 990 1060 1999-10-20 2007-05-17
Tianwan-2 VVER-1000/428 990 1060 2000-10-20 2007-08-16
Tianwan-3 VVER-1000/428М 1060 1126 2012-12-27 2018-02-14
Tianwan-4 VVER-1000/428М 1060 1126 2013-09-27 2018-12-22
Tianwan-7 VVER-1200/491 1100 1200 2021-05-19 2026
Tianwan-8 VVER-1200/491 1100 1200 2022-02-25 2027
Xudabao-3 VVER-1200/491 1100 1200 2021-07-28 2026
Xudabao-4 VVER-1200/491 1100 1200 2022-05-19 2027
Egypt El Dabaa-1 VVER-1200/529 1100 1200 2022-07-20
El Dabaa-2 VVER-1200/529 1100 1200 2022-11-19
El Dabaa-3 VVER-1200/529 1100 1200 2023-05-03
El Dabaa-4 VVER-1200/529 1100 1200 2024-01-23
Finland Hanhikivi-1 VVER-1200/AES-2006 1200 cancelled cancelled
India Kudankulam-1 VVER-1000/412 932 1000 2002-03-31 2014-12-31
Kudankulam-2 VVER-1000/412 932 1000 2002-07-04 2017-03-31
Kudankulam-3 VVER-1000/412 917 1000 2017-06-29 2025
Kudankulam-4 VVER-1000/412 917 1000 2017-10-23 2025
Kudankulam-5 VVER-1000/412 917 1000 2021-06-29 2027
Kudankulam-6 VVER-1000/412 917 1000 2021-12-20 2027
Iran Bushehr-1 VVER-1000/446 915 1000 1975-05-01 (1995) 2013-09-23
Bushehr-2 VVER-1000/446 915 1000 2016-09-10 2025
Bushehr-3 VVER-1000/446 915 1000 2016-09-10 2027
Turkey Akkuyu-1 VVER-1200/509 1114 1200 2018-04-03 2023
Akkuyu-2 VVER-1200/509 1114 1200 2020-04-08 2024
Akkuyu-3 VVER-1200/509 1114 1200 2021-03-10 2025
Akkuyu-4 VVER-1200/509 1114 1200 2022-07-21 2026
Ukraine Khmelnytskyi-3/4 VVER-1000/392B 950 1000 cancelled cancelled
Vietnam Ninh Thuan 1-1/2 VVER-1000/428 950 1000 cancelled cancelled
Ninh Thuan 1-3/4 VVER-1000/428 950 1000 cancelled cancelled

In addition Atomstroyexport challenging NPP projects list contains:[34]

In March 2022, Russian captured the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, now operated by Rosatom.

In August 2022, the Hungarian Nuclear Energy Authority authorized Rosatom to expand the nuclear power plant at Paks with two new VVER reactors with capacity of 1.2 gigawatts each.[36]

Nuclear engineering companies[edit]

  • Atomenergomash: power engineering company; produces steam generators for NPPs
  • Atommash: by far Russia's largest nuclear engineering company designed to build up to 8 reactors per year.
  • Atomstroyexport: nuclear power equipment and service export monopoly
  • OKBM Afrikantov: nuclear reactor design and engineering company. The world's leading company in production of fast breeder reactors.
  • OKB Gidropress: nuclear reactor design and engineering company

Safety[edit]

Russia, responding to the 2011 Japanese nuclear accidents, will perform a 'stress test' on all its reactors "to judge their ability to withstand earthquakes more powerful than the original design anticipated".[37]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Rosatom State Atomiс Energy Corporation ROSATOM global leader in nuclear technologies nuclear energy". Archived from the original on 31 January 2021.
  2. ^ USA. (1982). Technology and Soviet energy availability. Boulder (Colo.: Westview press. p. 126.
  3. ^ a b "State support pivotal to Russia's nuclear sector, says report". World Nuclear News. 12 July 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  4. ^ "Nuclear rethink urged". The Moscow News. 21 March 2011. Archived from the original on 19 November 2011.
  5. ^ "Benchmarking the global nuclear industry 2012 Heading for a fast recovery" (PDF). Ernst & Young. 11 October 2012. Retrieved 13 October 2014.[permanent dead link]
  6. ^ "Rosatom today and overview of its current and prospective Nuclear Power Plant projects" (PDF). Rosatom. 21 August 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 October 2014. Retrieved 13 October 2014.
  7. ^ "International Standards of Safety and the Modern Projects of Nuclear Power Stations" (PDF). Rosatom. 4 November 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 October 2014. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  8. ^ "Russia's efforts to improve safety following the Chernobyl and the Fukushima accidents" (PDF). IBRAE. 6 November 2013. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  9. ^ [1] Pulitzer Center On Crisis Reporting
  10. ^ "Russia leads the world at nuclear-reactor exports". The Economist. 7 August 2018. Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  11. ^ Nikolay Fil (26–28 July 2011). "Status and perspectives of VVER Status and perspectives of VVER nuclear power plants nuclear power plants" (PDF). OKB Gidropress. IAEA. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
  12. ^ "Russia connects Novovoronezh 6 reactor to grid". World Nuclear News. 5 August 2016. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  13. ^ "Russia invests in nuclear". World Nuclear News. 20 December 2013. Retrieved 21 December 2013.
  14. ^ a b "Russia to build 11 new nuclear reactors by 2030". World Nuclear News. 10 August 2016. Retrieved 17 September 2016.
  15. ^ "Rosatom considers delaying reactor commissioning". Nuclear Engineering International. 30 October 2017. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
  16. ^ "Rosatom's floating nuclear power unit arrives in Chukotka, Russia". Power Technology | Energy News and Market Analysis. 15 September 2019. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  17. ^ Igor Koudrik and Alexander Nikitin (13 December 2011). "Second life: The questionable safety of life extensions for Russian nuclear power plants". Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Archived from the original on 25 March 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
  18. ^ "Rosatom State Atomic Energy Cooperation | ROSATOM's first of a kind floating power unit connects to isolated electricity grid in Pevek, Russia's Far East". rosatom.ru. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  19. ^ a b "Nuclear Power in Russia | Russian Nuclear Energy – World Nuclear Association". world-nuclear.org. Retrieved 14 May 2018.
  20. ^ "Кольскую АЭС-2 начнут строить в 2028 году". Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  21. ^ "Kursk's second unit retires after 45 years operation". Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  22. ^ "The construction of the 2nd innovative VVER-TOI power block at the Kursk NPP-2 site has started ahead of schedule". rosenergoatom.ru. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  23. ^ "Russia retires Leningrad unit 1". World Nuclear News. World Nuclear Association. Retrieved 27 December 2018.
  24. ^ "Four New NPP Units Will be Built in Russia".
  25. ^ "Росатом планирует начать строительство второй очереди ЛАЭС-2 в 2024 году". tass.ru. Retrieved 11 July 2022.
  26. ^ "Russia commits to further floating NPPs : New Nuclear – World Nuclear News". world-nuclear-news.org. Retrieved 28 July 2021.
  27. ^ ""Росатом" и Kaz Minerals предварительно договорились о поставках электроэнергии для Баимского ГОКа". Interfax.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 3 September 2021.
  28. ^ "Russia plans new generation of FNPPS – Nuclear Engineering International".
  29. ^ a b "Заложен корпус первого плавучего энергоблока в арктическом исполнении на базе реакторов РИТМ-200 – Атомэнергомаш". aem-group.ru. Archived from the original on 30 August 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  30. ^ "В Якутии собираются строить АЭС мощностью не менее 55 МВт".
  31. ^ ""Росатом" начал строительство реактора Брест-300 в Северске". 8 June 2021.
  32. ^ "Russia prepares to build new nuclear reactors at Leningrad and Smolensk – Nuclear Engineering International".
  33. ^ "VVER units planned for Leningrad and Smolensk".
  34. ^ Challenging NPP Projects JSC ASE
  35. ^ NPP JSC ASE (Jordan)
  36. ^ "Hungary licenses two new reactors at Paks nuclear plant". Reuters. 27 August 2022.
  37. ^ Matthew L. Wald (24 March 2011). "Russia Plans to Test Reactors For Ability to Survive Quakes". The New York Times.

External links[edit]