The Russian government on 9 August approved plans for the construction and commissioning in Russia by 2030 of 11 new nuclear power units, including two BN-1200 fast neutron reactors as well as the first medium-size power unit, according to the territorial planning programme for the energy sector until 2030. Ria Novosti said this does not include new power units already under construction at Rostov NPP, Novovoronezh-II NPP, Leningrad-II NPP, the construction of floating NPP Academik Lomonosov, preparations for the construction of the first two units of Kursk-II NPP, or the possibility of resuming the construction of the Baltic NPP in Kaliningrad.

The new units will include one Generation IV BN-1200 sodium-cooled fast neutron reactor to be built at the Beloyarsk NPP in Zarechny, 50km east of Yekaterinburg in the southern Urals. Earlier reports said a decision on whether to go ahead with the BN-1200 would not be taken before 2019 and would depend largely on the results of operating the pilot BN-800 reactor at Beloyarsk unit 4, plant. The BN-800 was connected to the grid in December 2015, but has not yet begun commercial operation.

RIA Novosti also said the BN-1200 technology will be used at a new NPP, Yuzhnouralsk (South Urals), in the Chelyabinsk Oblast, 90km south of Yekaterinburg. Plans for the South Urals nuclear station have been around for more than a decade. They originally called for the construction of three BN-800 reactor units. Work began in 1984, but was stopped in 1987 due to funding problems when only concrete foundations for two reactors had been laid.

In addition, according to the territorial planning scheme, the lead-cooled BREST-OD-300 (Seversk NPP) fast reactor must also be in operation by 2025. This reactor is part of a pilot demonstration power complex being built under the Breakthrough project at the Siberian Chemical Combine. 

Russia has also approved a VVER-600 unit for the Kola NPP near the border with Finland. The VVER-600 was developed OKB Gidropress in Podolsk, part of state nuclear corporation Rosatom for use at the Kola-II NPP and also for export.

Seven Generation III+ 1,250-1,255 MWe VVER-TOI units are planned for Smolensk-II NPP, Nizhny Novgorod NPP, the planned Tsentral/Kostrama NPP in Kostroma Oblast, western Russia, and the planned Tatar NPP in Tatarstan, southwest Russia. The VVER-TOI design was developed from the 1,200MWe AES-2006 pressurised water reactor. 

Date: Thursday, 11 August 2016
Original article: neimagazine.com/news/newsrussia-plans-11-new-npp-units-including-fast-reactors-4977507