Two new nuclear reactors in full operation in Russia

Russian nuclear group Rosatom has announced that the sixth reactor of the Novovoronezh nuclear power plant (Novovoronezh II-1) in western Russia was operating at full power. The reactor was first brought to the minimum controlled power in May 2016 and was connected to the grid in August 2016.

Two 1,114 MW AES-2006 pressurized water reactors are under construction on the Novovoronezh site, where three reactors are operational (two 385 MW units and and one 950 MW unit) and two are being decommissioned. The construction of the Novovoronezh II units 1 and 2, also known as Novovoronezh units 6 and 7, began in June 2008 and July 2009, respectively. The new units are expected to be commissioned in December 2016 and in 2019, respectively. Russian regulator Rostechnadzor issued the operating licence for Novovoronezh-6 on 23 March 2016, thus permitting first criticality and eventual commercial operation of the unit.



In addition, the fourth unit of the Beloyarsk nuclear power plant has started commercial operation. The 789 MWe fast-neutron reactor of the BN-800 design reached criticality in June 2014, was connected to the Russian grid by Rosenergoatom in December 2015 and started operating at full power in August 2016. 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.