What is the name of the southernmost Russian nuclear power plant? The largest operating nuclear power plants in Russia

Nuclear physics, which emerged as a science after the discovery of the phenomenon of radioactivity in 1986 by scientists A. Becquerel and M. Curie, became the basis not only of nuclear weapons, but also of the nuclear industry.

Beginning of nuclear research in Russia

Already in 1910, the Radium Commission was created in St. Petersburg, which included famous physicists N. N. Beketov, A. P. Karpinsky, V. I. Vernadsky.

Study of radioactivity processes with release internal energy was carried out at the first stage of the development of nuclear energy in Russia, in the period from 1921 to 1941. Then the possibility of neutron capture by protons was proven, the possibility of a nuclear reaction by

Under the leadership of I.V. Kurchatov, employees of institutes of various departments carried out specific work on the implementation of a chain reaction during the fission of uranium.

The period of creation of atomic weapons in the USSR

By 1940, enormous statistical and practical experience had been accumulated, which allowed scientists to propose to the country's leadership the technical use of enormous intra-atomic energy. In 1941, the first cyclotron was built in Moscow, which made it possible to systematically study the excitation of nuclei by accelerated ions. At the beginning of the war, the equipment was transported to Ufa and Kazan, followed by employees.

By 1943, a special laboratory of the atomic nucleus appeared under the leadership of I.V. Kurchatov, the goal of which was to create a nuclear uranium bomb or fuel.

Application atomic bombs The United States in August 1945 in Hiroshima and Nagasaki created a precedent for this country's monopoly on superweapons and, accordingly, forced the USSR to speed up work on creating its own atomic bomb.

The result of organizational measures was the launch of the first uranium-graphite plant in Russia nuclear reactor in the village of Sarov (Gorky region) in 1946. The first controlled nuclear reaction was carried out at the F-1 test reactor.

An industrial reactor for plutonium enrichment was built in 1948 in Chelyabinsk. In 1949, a nuclear plutonium charge was tested at the Semipalatinsk test site.

This stage became a preparatory stage in the history of domestic nuclear energy. And already in 1949 they started design work to create a nuclear power plant.

In 1954, the world's first (demonstration) nuclear plant of relatively low power (5 MW) was launched in Obninsk.

An industrial dual-purpose reactor, where in addition to generating electricity, weapons-grade plutonium was also produced, was launched in the Tomsk region (Seversk) at the Siberian Chemical Combine.

Russian nuclear energy: types of reactors

The nuclear power industry of the USSR was initially focused on the use of high-power reactors:

Channel thermal neutron reactor RBMK (high-power channel reactor); fuel - slightly enriched uranium dioxide (2%), reaction moderator - graphite, coolant - boiling water purified from deuterium and tritium (light water).
A thermal neutron reactor, enclosed in a pressurized housing, fuel - uranium dioxide with an enrichment of 3-5%, moderator - water, which is also a coolant.
BN-600 - fast neutron reactor, fuel - enriched uranium, coolant - sodium. The only industrial reactor of this type in the world. Installed at Beloyarsk station.
EGP - thermal neutron reactor (energy heterogeneous loop), operates only at the Bilibino NPP. It differs in that overheating of the coolant (water) occurs in the reactor itself. Recognized as unpromising.

In total, there are currently 33 power units in operation at ten nuclear power plants in Russia with a total capacity of more than 2,300 MW:

with VVER reactors - 17 units;
with RMBK reactors - 11 units;
with BN reactors - 1 unit;
with EGP reactors - 4 units.

List of nuclear power plants in Russia and union republics: commissioning period from 1954 to 2001.

1954, Obninskaya, Obninsk Kaluga region. Purpose - demonstration and industrial. Reactor type - AM-1. Stopped in 2002
1958, Siberian, Tomsk-7 (Seversk), Tomsk region. Purpose - production of weapons-grade plutonium, additional heat and hot water for Seversk and Tomsk. Type of reactors - EI-2, ADE-3, ADE-4, ADE-5. It was finally stopped in 2008 by agreement with the United States.
1958, Krasnoyarsk, Krasnoyarsk-27 (Zheleznogorsk). Types of reactors - ADE, ADE-1, ADE-2. Purpose - heat generation for the Krasnoyarsk mining and processing plant. The final stop occurred in 2010 under an agreement with the United States.
1964, Beloyarsk NPP, Zarechny, Sverdlovsk region. Types of reactors - AMB-100, AMB-200, BN-600, BN-800. AMB-100 was stopped in 1983, AMB-200 - in 1990. Operating.
1964, Novovoronezh Nuclear Power Plant. Reactor type - VVER, five blocks. The first and second are stopped. Status - active.
1968, Dimitrovogradskaya, Melekess (Dimitrovograd since 1972), Ulyanovsk region. Types of installed research reactors - MIR, SM, RBT-6, BOR-60, RBT-10/1, RBT-10/2, VK-50. Reactors BOR-60 and VK-50 generate additional electricity. The suspension period is constantly being extended. Status - the only station with research reactors. Estimated closure - 2020.
1972, Shevchenkovskaya (Mangyshlakskaya), Aktau, Kazakhstan. BN reactor, shut down in 1990.
1973, Kola Nuclear Power Plant, Polyarnye Zori Murmansk region. Four VVER reactors. Status - active.
1973, Leningradskaya, Sosnovy Bor city, Leningrad region. Four RMBK-1000 reactors (same as at Chernobyl nuclear power plant). Status - active.
1974 Bilibino NPP, Bilibino, Chukotka Autonomous Region. Reactor types are AMB (now shut down), BN and four EGP. Active.
1976 Kurskaya, Kurchatov, Kursk region. Four RMBK-1000 reactors have been installed. Active.
1976 Armenian, Metsamor, Armenian SSR. Two VVER units, the first was shut down in 1989, the second is operational.
1977 Chernobyl, Chernobyl, Ukraine. Four RMBK-1000 reactors have been installed. The fourth block was destroyed in 1986, the second block was stopped in 1991, the first in 1996, the third in 2000.
1980 Rivne, Kuznetsovsk, Rivne region, Ukraine. Three units with VVER reactors. Active.
1982 Smolenskaya, Desnogorsk, Smolensk region, two units with RMBK-1000 reactors. Active.
1982 Yuzhnoukrainsk NPP, Yuzhnoukrainsk, Ukraine. Three VVER reactors. Active.
1983 Ignalina, Visaginas (formerly Ignalina district), Lithuania. Two RMBK reactors. Stopped in 2009 at the request of the European Union (upon joining the EEC).
1984 Kalinin NPP, Udomlya, Tver region. Two VVER reactors. Active.
1984 Zaporozhye, Energodar, Ukraine. Six units per VVER reactor. Active.
1985 Saratov region Four VVER reactors. Active.
1987 Khmelnitskaya, Neteshin, Ukraine. One VVER reactor. Active.
2001 Rostov (Volgodonskaya), Volgodonsk, Rostov region. By 2014, two units using VVER reactors were operating. Two blocks are under construction.

Nuclear energy after the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant

1986 was a fatal year for this industry. Consequences man-made disaster turned out to be so unexpected for humanity that the natural impulse was to close many nuclear power plants. The number of nuclear power plants around the world has decreased. Not only domestic stations, but also foreign ones, being built according to USSR designs, were stopped.

List of Russian nuclear power plants whose construction has been mothballed:

Gorky AST (heating plant);
Crimean;
Voronezh AST.

List of Russian nuclear power plants canceled at the stage of design and preparatory excavation work:

Arkhangelskaya;
Volgogradskaya;
Far Eastern;
Ivanovo AST (heating plant);
Karelian NPP and Karelian-2 NPP;
Krasnodar.

Abandoned nuclear power plants in Russia: reasons

The location of the construction site on a tectonic fault - this reason was indicated by official sources when mothballing the construction of nuclear power plants in Russia. The map of seismically stressed territories of the country identifies the Crimea-Caucasus-Kopet Dag zone, the Baikal rift zone, the Altai-Sayan zone, the Far Eastern and Amur zones.

From this point of view, the construction of the Crimean station (the readiness of the first block is 80%) was started truly unreasonably. The real reason for the mothballing of the remaining energy facilities as expensive was the unfavorable situation - economic crisis in the USSR. During that period, many industrial facilities were mothballed (literally abandoned for theft), despite high readiness.

Rostov NPP: resumption of construction despite public opinion

Construction of the station began back in 1981. And in 1990, under pressure from the active public, the regional Council decided to mothball the construction. The readiness of the first block at that time was already 95%, and the 2nd - 47%.

Eight years later, in 1998, the original project was adjusted, the number of blocks was reduced to two. In May 2000, construction was resumed, and already in May 2001 the first unit was included in the power grid. Construction of the second one resumed next year. The final launch was postponed several times, and only in March 2010 was it connected to the Russian energy system.

Rostov NPP: Unit 3

In 2009, a decision was made to develop the Rostov nuclear power plant with the installation of four more units based on VVER reactors.

Taking into account the current situation, the Rostov NPP should become the supplier of electricity to the Crimean Peninsula. Unit 3 was connected to the Russian energy system in December 2014 with minimal capacity. By mid-2015, it is planned to begin its commercial operation (1011 MW), which should reduce the risk of shortages of electricity from Ukraine to Crimea.

Nuclear energy in modern Russia

By the beginning of 2015, all Russia (operating and under construction) are branches of the Rosenergoatom concern. The crisis in the industry with difficulties and losses was overcome. By the beginning of 2015, 10 nuclear power plants are operating in the Russian Federation, 5 land-based and one floating station are under construction.

List of Russian nuclear power plants operating at the beginning of 2015:

Beloyarskaya (beginning of operation - 1964).
Novovoronezh Nuclear Power Plant (1964).
Kola Nuclear Power Plant (1973).
Leningradskaya (1973).
Bilibinskaya (1974).
Kurskaya (1976).
Smolenskaya (1982).
Kalinin NPP (1984).
Balakovskaya (1985).
Rostovskaya (2001).

Russian nuclear power plants under construction

Baltic NPP, Neman Kaliningrad region. Two units based on VVER-1200 reactors. Construction started in 2012. Start-up - in 2017, reaching design capacity - in 2018.

It is planned that the Baltic NPP will export electricity to European countries: Sweden, Lithuania, Latvia. The sale of electricity in the Russian Federation will be carried out through the Lithuanian energy system.

Global Nuclear Energy: A Brief Overview

Almost all nuclear power plants in Russia were built in the European part of the country. The planetary map of nuclear power installations shows the concentration of facilities in the following four regions: Europe, Far East(Japan, China, Korea), Middle East, Central America. According to the IAEA, about 440 nuclear reactors were operating in 2014.

Nuclear power plants are concentrated in the following countries:

in the USA, nuclear power plants generate 836.63 billion kWh/year;
in France - 439.73 billion kWh/year;
in Japan - 263.83 billion kWh/year;
in Russia - 160.04 billion kWh/year;
in Korea - 142.94 billion kWh/year;
in Germany - 140.53 billion kWh/year.

Currently, the share of electricity generated at nuclear power plants is 16% of total number electrical energy, produced in the Russian Federation. In the medium term, it is planned to increase this figure to 25%. How many nuclear power plants in Russia are engaged in the production of electrical energy?

10 nuclear power plants

Balakovo NPP is located in Saratov region near the city of Balakovo. Commissioned in 1985. 4 power units. One of the most modern and largest energy enterprises in the country. The station's electricity is the cheapest among all thermal power plants and nuclear power plants in Russia.
Beloyarsk NPP is located near the city of Zarechny, Sverdlovsk region. The year of commissioning is 1964. A power unit with a fast neutron reactor (the only one in the world) is operated here.
Bilibino NPP is located in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug near the city of Bilibino. Commissioned in 1974. The number of power units is 4. In addition to electrical energy, the station generates thermal energy for heating Bilibino.
The Kalinin NPP is located on the Udomlya River (125 km from Tver). Commissioned in 1984. Currently, the construction of the 4th power unit is underway.
The Kola Nuclear Power Plant is located near the town of Polyarnye Zori in the Murmansk region. Commissioned in 1973. The main supplier of electricity for Karelia and the Murmansk region. Recognized as the best nuclear power plant in Russia in 1996-98.
Kursk NPP is located near the city of Kurchatov, 40 km from Kursk on the left bank of the Seim River. In 1993-2004 power units underwent radical modernization. Currently, the nuclear power plant has the most high level reliability and safety.
Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant is located near the city. Sosnovy Bor. The year of commissioning is 1973. The station currently operates 4 power units with a capacity of 1000 MW each.
Novovoronezh NPP is located near the city of Novovoronezh. Commissioned in 1964. Currently, out of 5 power units, 2 have been commissioned and 2 are under construction.
The Rostov NPP is located near the city of Volgodonsk. In 2001, 2 power units were put into operation, 2 more are under construction.
Smolensk NPP is located near the city of Desnogorsk. Commissioned in 1982. Consists of 3 power units. 30% is formed by the budget of the Smolensk region.

These are operating nuclear power plants; 6 more nuclear power plants are being developed in Russia, 2 of which are floating.

The bulk of power units of Russian nuclear power plants were founded and built during the Soviet era. However, several Russian reactors were built in the post-Soviet period and even several new nuclear power plants were founded or are under construction precisely in the period from the nineties of the last century, after the collapse of Soviet Union. We will present to your attention a list of all Russian nuclear power plants on the map of the country.

List of all nuclear power plants in Russia for 2017

No. 1. Obninsk NPP

Obninskaya nuclear power plant- the first nuclear power plant in the world, was launched on June 27, 1954. The Obninsk nuclear power plant was located, as can be seen on the map of Russian nuclear power plants in the Kaluga region, not far from the Moscow region, so it is the one that is remembered first when talking about. The Obninsk NPP operated a single reactor with a capacity of 5 MW. And on April 29, 2002, the station was stopped.

No. 2. Balakovo NPP

The Balakovo nuclear power plant, the largest nuclear power plant in Russia, is located in the Saratov region. The capacity of the Balakovo NPP, launched in 1985, is 4,000 MW, which allows it to enter the.

No. 3. Bilibino NPP

Bilibino Nuclear Power Plant is the northernmost nuclear power plant on the map of Russia and the whole world. Bilibino NPP has been operating since 1974. Four reactors, with a total capacity of 48 MW, provide electricity and heat to the closed-loop system of the city of Bilibino and surrounding areas in northern Russia, including local gold mines.

No. 4. Leningrad NPP

Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant is located near St. Petersburg. Distinctive feature LNPP, operating since 1973, is that the station has reactors of the type RBMK- similar to reactors on .

No. 5. Kursk NPP

The Kursk nuclear power plant also bears the unofficial name of the Kurchatov NPP, since the city of nuclear workers of Kurchatov is located nearby. The station, launched in 1976, also has RBMK reactors.

No. 6. Novovoronezh NPP

Novovoronezh nuclear power plant is located in the Voronezh region of Russia. Novovoronezh NPP is one of the oldest in Russia, has been operating since 1964 and is already in the stage of gradual decommissioning.

No. 7. Rostov NPP

The Rostov nuclear power plant (formerly named after the Volgodonsk NPP) is one of the newest in Russia. The station's first reactor was launched in 2001. Since then, three reactors have been launched at the station and a fourth is under construction.

No. 8. Smolensk NPP

The Smolensk nuclear power plant has been operating since 1982. The station has “Chernobyl reactors” – RBMKs.

No. 9. Kalinin NPP

The Kalinin nuclear power plant is located near the city of Udomlya, 260 kilometers from Moscow and 320 kilometers from St. Petersburg.

No. 10. Kola NPP

The Kola Nuclear Power Plant is another northern nuclear power plant in Russia, located, as can be seen on the map of Russian nuclear power plants, in the Murmansk region. The station appeared in Dmitry Glukhovsky’s novels “Metro-2033” and “Metro-2034”.

No. 11. Beloyarsk NPP

The Beloyarsk nuclear power plant, located in the Sverdlovsk region, is the only nuclear power plant in Russia with fast neutron reactors.

No. 12. Novovoronezh NPP 2

Novovoronezh NPP 2 is a nuclear power plant under construction to replace the decommissioned capacities of the first Novovoronezh NPP. The first reactor of the station was launched in December 2016.

No. 13. Leningrad NPP 2

LNPP 2 is a nuclear power plant under construction to replace the first Leningrad NPP being decommissioned.

No. 14. Baltic NPP

The Baltic nuclear power plant is located on the map of Russia in the Kaliningrad region. The station was founded back in 2010 and was planned to be launched in 2016. But the construction process was frozen indefinitely.

There are now nine nuclear power plants in Russia, and all of them are operational. Eight of them are part of the Rosenergoatom system, one (Leningrad NPP) is an independent operating organization.
Rosenergoatom includes the following nuclear power plants:
Balakovskaya (Balakovo, Saratov region - four reactors);
Novovoronezh (Novovoronezh, Voronezh region - three reactors);
Kurskaya (Kurchatov, Kursk region - four reactors);
Smolenskaya (Desnogorsk, Smolensk region - three reactors);
Kalininskaya (Udomlya, Tver region - two reactors);
Kola (Polyarnye Zori, Murmansk region - four reactors);
Beloyarskaya (Zarechny, Sverdlovsk region - one reactor);
Bilibinskaya (village of Bilibino, Magadan region - four reactors). (In parentheses the number of operating reactors is indicated. - A.K.)
The Obninsk NPP in the Kaluga region is not industrial and operates as an experimental station of a scientific center.
The oldest power unit has been in operation since 1971 at the Novovoronezh NPP, the youngest - since 1993 in Balakovo. The estimated service life of all stations is 30 years. However, a preliminary check of the power units showed that they are all safe and their operation can be continued.
Prospects for the development of nuclear energy in Russia are determined by the Federal Target Program "Development of the Nuclear Energy Industrial Complex of Russia for 2007-2010 and for the Future until 2015" and other documents
According to these programs, by 2025, the share of electricity generated at the country's nuclear power plants should increase from 16 to 25%, and 26 new power units will be built.

Currently, work is being carried out at the following facilities:

Rostov NPP, power unit No. 2, commissioning plan - 2009;
- Kalinin NPP, power unit No. 4, commissioning plan - 2011;
- Beloyarsk NPP, power unit No. 4 (BN-800), commissioning plan - 2012;
- Novovoronezh NPP-2, power units No. 1, 2, commissioning plan - 2012 and 2013;
- Leningrad NPP-2, power units No. 1 and 2, commissioning plan - 2013 and 2014.
- The selection of sites for the location of Seversk NPP (Tomsk region), Central NPP (Kostroma region), Baltic NPP (Kaliningrad region), Yuzhnouralsk NPP (Chelyabinsk region) is being finalized.

Balakovo NPP

Location: Saratov region

Balakovo NPP is the largest electricity producer in Russia. It produces more than 30 billion kWh of electricity annually (more than any other nuclear, thermal and hydroelectric power plant in the country). The Balakovo NPP provides a quarter of the electricity production in the Volga Federal District and a fifth of the output of all nuclear power plants in the country. Its electricity is reliably provided to consumers in the Volga region (76% of the electricity it supplies), the Center (13%), the Urals (8%) and Siberia (3%). Electricity from the Balakovo NPP is the cheapest among all nuclear power plants and thermal power plants in Russia. The installed capacity utilization factor (IUR) at the Balakovo NPP is more than 80 percent.
Balakovo NPP is a recognized leader in the nuclear energy industry in Russia; it has repeatedly been awarded the title “Best NPP in Russia” (based on work results in 1995, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2007). Since 2002, the Balakovo nuclear power plant has the status of a branch of OJSC Concern Energoatom (before the corporatization of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise Concern Rosenergoatom) Federal agency(until March 2004 - Ministry of the Russian Federation) on atomic energy.
The main activities of the NPP management are to ensure and improve safety during operation, protect the environment from the influence of the technological process, reduce costs in the production of electricity, improve the social protection of personnel, and increase the contribution of the station to the socio-economic development of the region.

Beloyarsk NPP

Location: Sverdlovsk region, Zarechny
Total power of 1 block: 600 MW
Beloyarsk NPP named after. I.V. Kurchatova is the first-born of the large nuclear power industry of the USSR. The station is located in the Urals.
Three power units were built at the Beloyarsk NPP: two with thermal neutron reactors and one with a fast neutron reactor.
Power unit 1 with the AMB-100 reactor with a capacity of 100 MW was stopped in 1981, power unit 2 with the AMB-200 reactor with a power of 200 MW was stopped in 1989. The fuel from the reactors was unloaded and is in long-term storage in special cooling pools located in the same building with the reactors .
The third power unit with the BN-600 reactor is currently in operation electrical power 600 MW, commissioned in April 1980, is the world's first power unit industrial scale with a fast neutron reactor.

Bilibino NPP

Location: Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Bilibino
Total power of 3 units: 48 MW
Bilibino NPP is the central link in the Chaun-Bilibino energy hub and is connected by a 110 kV overhead line to the Chaunskaya CHPP (Pevek) and the Chersky substation (Cape Verde). In addition to these overhead lines, there is a network of 35 kV overhead lines, through which power supply is provided to local consumers. The station produces both electrical and thermal energy, which goes to the heat supply of the city of Bilibino. Bilibino NPP is the first nuclear power plant beyond the Arctic Circle and the only one in the permafrost zone. In 2005, the station operated at 35% of its installed capacity, in 2006 - 32.5%.

The source of household, drinking and technical water supply for the Bilibino NPP is the reservoir on the Bol stream. Ponneurgen, located three kilometers east of the industrial site. The reservoir meets the water needs of the industrial site, the city of Bilibino and other nuclear power plant facilities and is held in place by an earth dam.

Rostov (Volgodonsk) NPP

Location: Rostov region, Volgodonsk
Total capacity of 4 units: 4000 MW
The first stone at the construction site of the Volgodonsk NPP was laid on October 28, 1977. Full-scale construction of the station, originally called Volgodonskaya, began in 1979 after a thorough study of seven possible sites.
The VVER-1000 pressurized water reactor was selected for installation at the Rostov NPP. Reactors of this type are among the safest and are widely used at nuclear power plants in Russia and Ukraine - for many years they have operated reliably at Balakovskaya (4 units), Novovoronezhskaya (1 unit), Kalininskaya (1 unit), Zaporozhye (6 units), Yuzhno -Ukrainian (1 unit), Khmelnitsky (2 units) and Rivne (1 unit) nuclear power plants, having proven their safety and efficiency. Russian VVER-1000 reactors are also installed at the operating Kozloduy NPP (Bulgaria, 2 units) and the Temelin NPP under construction (Czech Republic, 2 units). Work began on the construction of a nuclear power plant with VVER-1000 in Iran, and China and India became actively interested in Russian reactors.
Reactors of a similar type are used at most nuclear power plants in the world.
During the construction of the Rostov NPP, inspections of the progress of its construction were carried out repeatedly, documenting the quality of the work performed.
In the wake of well-known post-Chernobyl sentiments, the Rostov Regional Council of People's Deputies in June 1990. adopted a decision that states: “... consider the construction of a nuclear power plant on the territory Rostov region on modern stage unacceptable."
Based on the decision of the regional Council, the construction of the Rostov NPP was suspended by the minutes of the meeting with the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR I. S. Silaev and the Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR L. D. Ryabev on August 29, 1990. In the same protocol, the State Committee for Nature Protection was ordered to ensure an environmental assessment of the project and constructed facilities of the Rostov NPP in accordance with the resolution of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
In pursuance of this decision, an additional section of the Rostov NPP project on the environmental safety of the plant was developed - “Assessment of the impact of RosNPP on environment(EIA)", which was transferred in 1992 to the Ministry of Environment and natural resources RF for conducting the State Environmental Expertise.
Based on a comprehensive analysis of design and other materials, the State Environmental expert commission came to the conclusion about the environmental safety of the Rostov NPP. The positive conclusion of the State Expertise is legal basis to resume construction of the station. On July 21, 1998, this was recognized by the Resolution of the Legislative Assembly of the Rostov Region. Currently, the 1st and 2nd power units of the Rostov NPP are scheduled for startup in accordance with the Nuclear Energy Development Program approved by the Government of the Russian Federation in July 1998 Russian Federation for 1998-2005 and for the period until 2010.

Kalinin NPP

Location: Tver region, Udomlya

In the mid-70s of the 20th century, when the construction of a nuclear power plant began in the quiet patriarchal Udomlya, the rapid development of the city began. In 1981, the village became a city of district subordination, and in 1986 of regional subordination.
Over 30 years of construction and operation of the KNPP, a modern city: with a developed infrastructure, an education and medical care system, a network of cultural and educational institutions, an excellent base for physical education and sports, good conditions for the development of small and medium-sized businesses.
Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant provides electricity largest regions central part of Russia. Over 22 years of operation, the station generated over 250 billion kWh of electricity.
The share of electricity generated at KNPP is about 60 percent of its total production in the Tver region. 25 percent of commercial products produced in the region come from the Kalinin NPP.
The commissioning of the third power unit provided additional revenues to the region in the form of property taxes and contributions to the 30-kilometer zone in the amount of 2 billion rubles. In addition, in the process of completing the construction of power unit No. 3, Energoatom Concern OJSC (before the corporatization of the FSUE Rosenergoatom Concern) invested more than 1.5 billion rubles in the economy and social sphere of the Tver region.
Based on the results of 2002, Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant was awarded the title “Best Nuclear Power Plant in Russia”. In 2003 and 2004, KNPP was in second place.
4th power unit
Construction of the second stage of the Kalinin NPP, which includes power units No. 3 and No. 4 with the VVER-1000 reactor, began in 1984.
By order of the Ministry of Atomic Energy and Industry in 1991, the construction of power unit No. 4 was suspended and mothballed at 20 percent construction readiness. And only almost a decade later, the question of the need to resume construction of the block was raised again. The developing economy of Russia required the introduction of new generating capacities.

Kola NPP

Location: Murmansk region, Polyarnye Zori
Total capacity of 4 units: 1760 MW

The history of the construction of the Kola Nuclear Power Plant began in the 60s of the twentieth century. The rapid development of industry in the region required additional energy resources. Kola Peninsula had no other sources of electricity except hydro resources, which were almost completely already used. A decision was made to build the first nuclear power plant in the Arctic.
During survey work in 1963, a site for the construction of a nuclear power plant was selected on the shore of Lake Imandra. 1967 - The USSR State Construction Committee approved the design assignment for the construction of the Kola Nuclear Power Plant. On May 18, 1969, the first cubic meter of concrete was laid into the base of the station. In 1968, Alexander Romanovich Belov, a candidate of technical sciences, three-time winner of the USSR State Prize, a manager with extensive economic experience, was appointed director of the station under construction. Alexander Stepanovich Andrushechko assumed the position of Head of the Construction Department.
The intense and well-coordinated work of the entire team of builders, installers, adjusters and operators was crowned with success: on June 29, 1973, the first power unit of the Kola Nuclear Power Plant was launched.
In the year of its launch, the station generated 1 billion kWh of electricity.
Construction of power units continued at a rapid pace. On December 8, 1974, the second power unit was launched, on March 24, 1981 - the third and on October 11, 1984 - the fourth.
Today, the main supplier of electricity for the Murmansk region and Karelia is the Kola Nuclear Power Plant. The nuclear power plant is located 200 kilometers south of Murmansk on the shore of Lake Imandra, one of the largest and most picturesque lakes in Northern Europe. Currently, the station operates 4 power units with a capacity of 440 MW each, which is about 50% of the total installed capacity of the region. The station can generate more than 12 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity per year. Nuclear power generation releases millions of tons of electricity every year organic fuel, eliminating the harmful effects of combustion products on the environment. Today, the capacities of the Kola NPP are not fully utilized, which creates the prerequisites for the development of industry in the region.

NPP awards:
2006 Best NPP in the field of safety;
2006 2nd place in the competition "Best NPP at the end of the year";
2007 2nd place in the competition "Best NPP at the end of the year";
2008 Best NPP in the field of safety culture;
2008 2nd place in the competition "Best NPP at the end of the year."

Kursk NPP

Location: Kursk region, Kurchatov
Total capacity of 4 units: 4000 MW

The Kursk nuclear power plant is located 40 kilometers west of the city of Kursk, on the banks of the Seim River. The town of Kurchatov is 3 km from the station.
The decision to build the Kursk nuclear power plant was made in the mid-60s. Construction began in 1971. The need for construction was caused by the rapidly developing industrial and economic complex of the Kursk Magnetic Anomaly (Staro-Oskol and Mikhailovsky mining and processing plants and other industrial enterprises in the region). General project manager: Moscow branch of Atomenergoproekt. Chief designer of the reactor: NIKIET Institute, Moscow. Scientific supervisors: Russian science center"Kurchatov Institute". The construction of the 1st and 2nd stages was carried out by the Construction Department of the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant (now LLC Kurskatomenergostroy Association).
The Kursk nuclear power plant is a single-circuit type plant: the steam supplied to the turbines is generated directly in the reactor during the boiling of the coolant passing through it. Ordinary purified water circulating in a closed circuit is used as a coolant. Water from the cooling pond is used to cool the exhaust steam in the turbine condensers. The surface area of the reservoir is 21.5 km2.
As part of the two operating stages of the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant, 4 RBMK-1000 power units (1-4 power units) are in operation, and the 3rd stage is under construction.
The installed capacity of each power unit is 1,000 MW (electric). The power units were commissioned: Unit 1 in 1976, Unit 2 in 1979, Unit 3 in 1983, Unit 4 in 1985.
The Kursk nuclear power plant is one of the top three nuclear power plants of equal power in the country, and in terms of the volume of electricity generated, it is one of the top four power plants of all types in Russia, including, in addition to the Balakovo and Leningrad nuclear power plants, the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric power station.
Kursk nuclear power plant is the most important node of the United energy system Russia. The main consumer is the Center energy system, which covers 19 regions of the Central Federal District. The share of the Kursk nuclear power plant in the installed capacity of all power plants in the Black Earth Region is 52%. It provides electricity to 90% of industrial enterprises in the Kursk region.
In May 2008, the cooling reservoir of the III stage of the Kursk NPP was put into operation and is intended to meet the technical water needs of power unit No. 5 under construction and power unit No. 6 planned for construction. The reservoir is also expected to be used during the operation of a pumped storage power plant, the construction of which is provided for by the current energy programs of the Government of the Russian Federation .
The new reservoir holds about 50 million cubic meters of water. Water from cooling ponds of nuclear power plants participates in technological process electricity production. Its use ensures the operation of heat exchange equipment and technical systems protection of nuclear power plants and does not harm the environment.

Leningrad NPP

Location: Leningrad region Sosnovy Bor
Total capacity of 4 units: 4000 MW

The station includes 4 power units with an electrical capacity of 1000 MW each, the 1st and 2nd power units (first stage) are located approximately 5 km southwest of the city of Sosnovy Bor, 3rd and 4th power units (second stage) are located two kilometers to the west.
The grandeur of this structure can be judged by the fact that the construction volume of only one main building of the first stage of the station is 1,200,000 m3, the height of the reactor block reaches 56 m, and the length of the main facade is more than 400 m.

The Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant was founded on July 6, 1967. On December 23, 1973, members of the State admissions committee accepted the first power unit into operation. In 1975, the second unit of the Leningrad NPP was launched and construction of the second stage of the station began. Work on the construction of the second stage began on May 10, 1975. The first installation work the third block was started on February 1, 1977.
On December 26, 1980, at 20:30, the physical start-up of the fourth block reactor was carried out, and on February 9, 1981, shortly before opening XXVI Congress of the CPSU, the fourth power unit was put under industrial load.
Over the years of successful operation, and in 2002 LNPP will celebrate its 30th anniversary, the station has generated over 600 billion kWh. electricity - and this is a record figure for a power plant in Europe.
Each power unit of the station includes the following main equipment:
RBMK reactor with circulation loop and auxiliary systems;
2 turbine units type K-500-65/3000 with steam and condensate-feed path;
2 generators type TVV-500-2. .
The reactor and its auxiliary systems are housed in separate buildings. The machine room is common to 2 power units. Auxiliary workshops and systems for the two power units are common and are geographically located near each of the lines (2 power units) of the station.
The total area occupied by the Leningrad NPP is 454 hectares.

Novovoronezh NPP

Location: Voronezh region, Novovoronezh
Total capacity of 3 units: 1880 MW

The decision to build a nuclear power plant was made in May 1957.
September 1964 - power start-up of the unit;
December 1964 - bringing the unit’s capacity up to design (210 MW);
January 1966 - development higher level power (240 MW);
December 1969 - testing and operation of the power unit at a capacity of up to 280 MW.
With the launch of the first unit of the Novovoronezh NPP on September 30, 1964, the countdown in the history of nuclear energy in our country and European countries began. Although the power of the power unit, according to modern ideas, was small, at the level of that time it was the most powerful nuclear power unit in the world.
1 power unit of the Novovoronezh NPP, created as a pilot-industrial one, clearly demonstrated the advantages of using nuclear energy, reliability and safety of NPP operation
On December 30, 1969, the 2nd power unit of the Novovoronezh NPP was put into operation. The reactor installation for power unit 2 (VVER-365) was the basis for the transition to the construction of serial units with VVER.
In December 1971, the third power unit was launched.
In 1972, power unit No. 3 reached its design capacity, and in December the power start-up of the next unit, the fourth unit, was carried out.
A new page in the history of the station began - the construction of the country's first power unit with a VVER-1000 reactor, which gave power on May 31, 1980.
A series of units with VVER-440 reactor units were built at the Kola, Armenian, Rivne NPPs, as well as abroad - in Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Finland. The main power unit No. 5 became serial for the South Ukrainian, Kalinin, Zaporozhye, Balakovo, Rostov NPPs, as well as for the Kozloduy NPP in Bulgaria.
Meanwhile, the design operation period of the first two power units of the nuclear power plant was ending. In August 1984, after the expiration of the commercial life of the reactor vessel, the first unit was shut down to carry out reconstruction and modernization work.
In 1986, after the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the safety concept of USSR nuclear power plants was revised and work on modernizing unit No. 1 was stopped.
Based on existing operating experience, the technical policy of the Novovoronezh NPP administration long time was related to the issues of modernization and reconstruction of units 3 and 4, the design operation period was also coming to an end. Thanks to the extensive work to modernize systems and equipment aimed at improving safety, the Russian Minatom in 2001-2002. a decision was made to extend the service life of units 3 and 4 for 15 years.

Smolensk NPP

Location: Smolensk region, Desnogorsk
Total capacity of 3 units: 3000 MW

Every year, the station supplies the energy system with an average of 20 billion kWh of electricity, which is 13% of the electricity generated by the country's ten nuclear power plants.
Today SAES is the largest city-forming enterprise in the Smolensk region, the share of revenues in the regional budget is more than 30%.
There are three power units with RBMK-1000 uranium-graphite channel reactors of the second and third generation in commercial operation at the SAPP.
The first power unit was put into operation in 1982, the second in 1985, and the third in 1990.
The electric power of each power unit is 1000 MW, the thermal power is 3200 MW.
In 2007, the Smolensk Nuclear Power Plant was the first among Russian nuclear power plants to receive an international certificate of compliance of the quality management system with the ISO 9001:2000 standard.
In order to extend the operating life of the Smolensk NPP, planned and routine repairs are being carried out at the station in stages, with a large volume of work on the reconstruction and modernization of equipment being carried out.
All power units are equipped with an accident localization system that eliminates emissions radioactive substances into the environment.
When preparing the material, information from the site rosenergoatom.ru was used

Today there are more than 400 operating nuclear power plants in the world, mainly in countries such as the USA, France, Japan and in the post-Soviet space - in Russia and Ukraine. Which of them is the most powerful nuclear power plant? After all, nuclear power plants vary in type of reactor, as well as in the number of reactors. There are very low-power ones like Russian or, and sometimes very tiny ones like or. And there are stations that supply entire industrial regions with their electricity. We'll talk about them. We present to your attention TOP 10 most powerful nuclear power plants in the world!

Rating of the TOP 10 largest nuclear power plants in the world

10th place. The most powerful nuclear power plant in Russia

Balakovo NPP – 4,000 MW

Location largest nuclear power plant Russia: Russia, Saratov region

Location of the largest nuclear power plant in the USA: USA, Arizona

- the most powerful nuclear power plant in the United States. This nuclear power plant provides electricity to four million people with a maximum peak power of 4,174 MW across three reactors. Palo Verde Nuclear Power Plant is the only nuclear power plant in the world that is not located near a large body of water. Used for cooling waste water nearby cities.

8th place. The most powerful nuclear power plant in China

Hongyanhe Nuclear Power Plant – 4,437 MW

Location of Hongyanhe Nuclear Power Plant: China, Liaoning Province

Hongyanhe Nuclear Power Plant in Liaoning Province in China. The station includes four reactors, and their total capacity reaches 4,437 MW.

7th place. France's third nuclear power plant

Cattenom – 5,200 MW

Location of Kattenom Nuclear Power Plant: France, province of Lorraine

Capacity in the Alsace-Lorraine province of France is 5,200 MW across four reactors. Surprisingly, the station occupies a very small area, especially in comparison with the aforementioned most powerful US nuclear power plant in Palo Verde.

6th place. France's second nuclear power plant

Paluel – 5,320 MW

Location of Paluel Nuclear Power Plant: France, Haute-Normandie province

5th place. The most powerful nuclear power plant in France and Western Europe

Gravelines – 5,460 MW

Location of the largest nuclear power plant in France: France, Gravelines province

- the most powerful and largest nuclear power plant in France. The total capacity of this nuclear power plant is 5,460 MW.

4th place. South Korea's second nuclear power plant

Hanbit, Yeonggwang – 5,875 MW

Location of Hanbit NPP: South Korea

3rd place. The most powerful nuclear power plant in South Korea

Hanul – 5,881 MW

Location of the largest nuclear power plant in South Korea: South Korea

The largest nuclear power plant in South Korea– , is only slightly ahead of the previous contender from this country – Hanbit. The maximum capacity of this station is currently 5,881 MW.

2nd place. The most powerful nuclear power plant in Europe and Ukraine

Zaporozhye NPP – 6,000 MW

Location of Europe's largest nuclear power plant: Ukraine, Zaporozhye region

– the largest station in Ukraine, Europe and post-Soviet space. The plant's six reactors produce a peak power of 6,000 MW and make it the main supplier of electricity in Ukraine.

1st place. The most powerful nuclear power plant in the world, North America and Canada

Bruce County – 6,232 MW

Location of Canada's largest nuclear power plant: Canada, Ontario

In Canada it is the most powerful nuclear power plant in the territory North America, as well as the most powerful operating nuclear power plant in the world. The maximum power of the eight reactors currently in use is 6,232 MW. Until 2015, the station’s two reactors had been at the modernization stage for a decade and a half.

Potential first place - Japan's most powerful nuclear power plant

Kashiwazaki-Kariwa – 7,965 MW

Location of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant: Japan, Niigata Prefecture

is the largest nuclear power plant in Japan and the world, which can rightfully be called the most powerful. It includes seven reactors with a total maximum power of 7,965 MW. But, like many Japanese nuclear power plants, it was shut down after the Fukushima-1 incident and at the beginning of 2017 is still considered temporarily shut down.