Beloyarsk-4, a 789 MWe fast-neutron reactor of the BN-800 design, has started operating at full power, after having reached criticality in June 2014 and having been connected to the Russian grid by Rosenergoatom in December 2015. Commercial operations are expected to begin by the end of 2016.
Since the beginning of 2016, Beloyarsk 4 has generated more than 1.3 TWh of electricity; it is planned to generate 3.5 TWh for the whole 2016. The unit is fuelled by a mix of uranium and plutonium oxides arranged to produce new fuel material as it burns.
The project is located on the site of the Beloyarsk power plant; the first two units of 102 MW and 146 MW, were commissioned in 1964 and and 1969, respectively, and stopped in 1983 and 1990 respectively. Beloyarsk-3, a 560 MW fast-breeder reactor, was commissioned in November 1981. The fourth unit project was approved in 1983 and construction began in 1986. The project was put on hold and only resumed in 2004. Russia is planning to construct a larger BN-1200 fast reactor power unit at Beloyarsk to start up by 2020, while cooperating with China to build two BN-800 units there.
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