The Russian nuclear company Rosatom has started to load fuel into the second VVER-1200 reactor of the Leningrad II nuclear power plant in Sosnovy Bor, in western Russia, marking the kickoff of the physical start-up to the reactor. In addition, the Commission of the Federal Service for Ecological, Technological and Nuclear Supervision (Rostekhnadzor) has issued a license to operate the reactor, which is expected to start trial operations soon and to be commissioned in 2021.
The Leningrad I nuclear power plant in Russia consists of four RMBK-1000 nuclear reactors rated 925 MW (1,000 MW gross) each and commissioned between 1973 and 1981; the first unit was stopped in December 2018. A second phase (Leningrad II) is adding four VVER-1200 reactors: the first one rated 1,085 MW was commissioned in October 2018, and the second one is expected in early 2021. It will replace the RBMK-1000 reactor of the Leningrad I-2 power unit, that will be shut down at the end of 2020. Two additional units (3 and 4) rated 1,170 MW are under development.