Wedoany.com Report-Mar 18, Russia’s Federal Environmental, Technological & Nuclear Surveillance Service (Rostekhnadzor) has issued a licence to nuclear utility Rosenergoatom (electricity division of the Rosatom) approving the installation of a VVER-TOI reactor at unit 4 of the Kursk-II NPP.
“Obtaining a licence confirms the project’s compliance with Russian norms and rules in the field of atomic energy use and indicates the site’s readiness to host a nuclear facility,” said Alexander Uvakin, Director of the Kursk NPP. “The modern technological solutions of the project cover all aspects ensuring safety during the entire period of operation of the power unit.”
Kursk-II will replace the currently operating Kursk NPP, which comprises four ageing RBMK reactors (two of which are now closed) with four new units comprising Generation 3+ VVER-TOI reactors. Units 1&2 are currently under construction. The construction and commissioning of units 3&4 are planned for 2042.
Alexander Khazin, Adviser to the President of general contractor ASE JSC noted that, in addition to preparatory work directly on the construction site, work is also beginning to coordinate with the customer (Rosenergoatom) the list of equipment scheduled to be ordered this year. “This is especially true for the manufacture of long-lead equipment such as steam generators, the reactor vessel, the protective shell prestress system, and so on. The production time of this equipment is about 1.5 years.”
Russia plans to commission 38 NPP units with a total capacity of 29.3 GWe by 2042. By 2045, the goal is to increase the share of nuclear power generation in the energy mix to 25% from 19% today.
VVER-TOI (optimised and informatised model) reactor has increased power and improved technical and economic indicators, as well as the optimal combination of passive and active safety systems, designed to protect the reactor core from destruction for at least 72 hours in the event of an accident. As part of the VVER-TOI project, the most powerful domestic turbines will be used at the Kursk NPP – 1,255 MWe with a rotation frequency of 1,500 rpm.
