Rosatom outlines 10-year construction plan for Kola NPP-2
The first two 600 MW reactors for the planned Kola-2 nuclear-power plant will be built from 2027-2037. Two more will thereafter follow.
The first plan to build a replacement to the existing Kola nuclear-power plant (NPP) appeared in the early 1990s. At the time, the oldest VVER-440/230 reactors had a licensed design life of 30 years and were supposed to retire by 2003 and 2004.
As deadline approached, the licenses were prolonged and technical upgrades were made. 15 years later, the same happened again.
The two oldest reactors are actually the only in Russia's civilian nuclear industry that have had their licenses prolonged twice.
In 2018, Rostechnadzor, the federal supervisory body for environmental, industrial and nuclear services, issued the license for the operation of Kola nuclear power plant’s unit No. 1 until July 6, 2033, the Barents Observer reported. The following year, unit No. 2 was granted an additional 15-years operation licence.
On Tuesday this week, Rosatom general director Alexei Likhachev visited the plant which is located just north of the Arctic Circle on the Kola Peninsula.
Likhachev made clear that Kola NPP-2 will be built.
"Kola NPP-2 will be the first station with modern 600 MW medium-capacity units. The implementation of the project will allow for the confident development of the region's economy and social sphere, and will open up opportunities for launching new industrial projects on its territory," the state nuclear corporation quoted him saying.
Fuel with plutonium
Rosatom's new 600 MW reactor is a groundbreaking design never built before. It is water-cooled, but will instead of traditional uranium fuel rods, utilise MOX-fuel, combining plutonium from spent fuel with depleted uranium.
The construction of power units No. 1 and No. 2 of Kola NPP-2 is planned for the period from 2027 to 2037, with the construction of two more similar power units planned for the site in the future.S
When all four reactors are up an running, the old power-plant will be shut down, starting with the 1973- and 1974 built reactors.
Beyond peak aapacity
Meanwhile, the old reactors will be running for another decade or two.
Russia’s military TV channel Zvezda followed the Rosatom director during the visit. In a short sequence, the reporter’s camera show the control display for reactor No. 4, running at 470 MWh which is 106,8% of the designed 440 MWh.
