Rosatom has received regulatory approval to start the commercial operation of the second VVER-1200 reactor at the Leningrad nuclear power plant in western Russia, which is scheduled for the end of this month. The existing Leningrad plant site in Sosnovy Bor has four RBMK-1000 units, while Leningrad II will have four VVER-1200 units.

The operating room of Leningrad II-2 (Image: Rosatom)

The head of the North European Interregional Territorial Directorate of Russian regulator Rostekhnadzor, Sergey Perevoschikov, on 10 March presented the director of the Leningrad nuclear power plant, Vladimir Pereguda, with a positive ruling on the compliance of Leningrad II unit 2 (also known as Leningrad 6) with the requirements of technical regulations and project documentation. The unit completed its final, 15-days of testing on 9 March.

"Our new unit is built in full compliance with the project and is ready for safe and sustainable operation throughout its planned design life. Now we are starting to finalise all the necessary documentation in order to put the power unit into industrial operation by the end of March," Pereguda said in a Rosatom statement of 12 March.

By the time the unit is commissioned, it will have produced more than 2 TWh of electricity. The unit was first connected to the Russian grid on 22 October last year. According to preliminary estimates, the new unit will add more than RUB3 billion (USD41 million) a year to the budget of the Leningrad region through additional taxes, Rosatom said.

Leningrad unit 1 was shut down for decommissioning on 21 December 2018. Leningrad II unit 1 was connected to the grid on 9 March 2018, becoming the second VVER-1200 reactor to start up, following the launch in 2016 of Novovoronezh unit 6. Leningrad II-2 will replace Leningrad-2, which was shut down permanently on 10 November 2020 after 45 years of operation.

Researched and written by World Nuclear News