"Peaceful atom" on guard of Russia's energy security

The Russian Federation ranks second among European countries (after France) in terms of nuclear generation capacity. The share of this type of energy in the total generation of Russian energy systems in 2020 amounted to more than 20%. In order to manage all the assets related to this industry, the state corporation Rosatom was established in 2007 in our country. In this article, we will try to talk about the largest Russian projects in the field of nuclear energy.

At present, the nuclear industry of the Russian Federation is a powerful complex of more than 350 enterprises and organizations employing more than 250 people. At the beginning of this year, 11 nuclear power plants are operating in Russia, they produce about 220 billion kWh. In terms of the pace of development, the domestic nuclear power industry is second only to China, but in the PRC, it is Rosatom that plays a significant role in the development and construction of many nuclear power plants.



Further development of nuclear energy in the country is associated with the commissioning of new power units. Thus, in the period from 2006 to 2010, construction work began at five nuclear power plants, which to date have led to the creation of eight new power units. Also in 2010, the Baltic NPP was laid down, the Kaliningrad region was supposed to be its location. It was supposed to include two VVER-1200 power units, its construction, together with all related infrastructure, was estimated at 6,23 billion euros. In 2018, all work on the creation of the station was officially suspended due to the lack of an adequate number of electricity consumers, there was an idea that various European states would become them. In addition, in 2020, a floating nuclear thermal power plant (FNPP) of project 20870 "Akademik Lomonosov", which has been under construction since 2007, was put into operation.

The Energy Strategy of Russia for the period up to 2030, which was adopted in 2009, provides for an increase in electricity production at nuclear power plants to 356-437 billion kWh per year. So, at present, active construction work is underway in Russia at several objects of this type:

1. Kursk NPP-2
This plant is being built to replace four decommissioned power units of the operating Kursk NPP, due to the exhaustion of their resource (in 2021, the first of them was decommissioned). The last one is scheduled to close in 2030. The project of the new station includes four reactor plants of the VVER-TOI type. Last year, the reactor vessel at power unit No. 1 of the Kursk NPP-2 was brought to the design position. In addition, the construction of a tower evaporative cooling tower with a height of 179 meters was completed, which became the highest in our country. It is assumed that the last of the planned power units will be put into operation by 2029.

2. Leningrad NPP-2
The appearance of this station is associated with the phased decommissioning of four power units of the Leningrad NPP. The launch of the first power unit and its inclusion in the unified energy system of Russia took place on March 9, 2018, the second on October 22, 2020. Last summer, preparatory work started at the construction site of Units 3 and 4. The commissioning of two new power units is scheduled for 2030 and 2032, respectively.

3. "BREST-OD-300" in Seversk (Tomsk region)
Within the framework of this project, a nuclear power unit with an innovative fast neutron reactor BREST-OD-300 is being built. As the facility is built, a nuclear power plant with a fast reactor and an on-site closed nuclear fuel cycle should appear on the site selected during the design. Rosatom plans to launch a new power unit in 2029.

In addition to the sites on which construction work is already underway, in order to maintain and increase the capacity of nuclear generation, the general layout of electric power facilities until 2035 provides for the construction of 7 more power units. We are talking about work at the following facilities: Kola NPP-2, Smolensk NPP-2, Nizhny Novgorod NPP, Beloyarsk NPP and Central NPP.

In addition to this, Rosatom is implementing its own projects abroad. Currently, work is underway at the Akkuyu NPP in Turkey. The new station will include four power units with modern VVER-120 reactors with a total capacity of 4800 megawatts. The Kudankulam nuclear power plant in India is being built as part of the implementation of an interstate agreement; at the moment, two of the six planned units have been connected to the power system. In 2014, Rosatom and the Hungarian company MVM signed a contract for the construction of new units of the Paks NPP. Preparatory work is currently underway at the construction site. In Bangladesh, according to the Russian project, construction of two power units at the Rooppur NPP is underway. In China, the Tianwan NPP has already been partially put into operation, two more power units are to be connected, this station is an example of the largest Russian-Chinese economic cooperation. In addition, Rosatom will also take part in the construction of the Xudapu NPP, where preparatory work is currently underway. The Russian side also takes an integral part in the construction of the first nuclear power plant in Egypt. El Dabaa NPP will have four VVER-1200 power units, the expected commissioning of the facility is 2026.

Summing up, I would like to note that nuclear energy has both pluses and minuses. Stations of this type are characterized by a relatively low level of consumption of raw materials, while generating incomparably more electricity than classical power facilities. Despite this, the example of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is alive in the minds of many people, which makes them rather skeptical about nuclear energy. So, in Italy, after a referendum held at the end of the last century, they decided to completely abandon nuclear energy. Germany, Taiwan and Belgium are trying to follow a similar path. It is worth recognizing that for a long time the construction of nuclear power plants will be the subject of active disputes between supporters of classical and "green" energy.