All research work at the site of the future BN-1200 reactor at Russia’s Beloyarsk NPP has been completed. In August, the station will prepare a justification for investing in the project, said Chief Engineer Yury Nosov.
The BN-1200 sodium-cooled fast reactor is planned to be built as unit 5 of the Beloyarsk NPP in the Sverdlovsk Region. Two units are currently operating at the plant – unit 3 with the BN-600 fast reactor and unit 4 with the BN-800 fast reactor. Their total installed capacity of 1,485 MWe is about 16% of the installed capacity of all power plants in the Sverdlovsk energy system. These are the world's only power units with fast neutron reactors.
"All planned types of surveys have been carried out at the BN-1200 site – engineering and geodetic, engineering and environmental, engineering and hydrometeorological, engineering and geotechnical – now reports are being prepared on the work undertaken. These must be completed in August and we will soon receive reports on all the surveys. These will then be analysed and sent by us as part of the investment feasibility study to make a decision on the suitability of the site for construction," Nosov said.
Rosatom plans to obtain a licence for the construction for the BN-1200 in 2027. It will be the world’s largest fast reactor breaking the record already held by Russia for Beloyarsk unit 4 with its BN-800. Construction of Beloyarsk 5 is scheduled for 2035. Earlier Valery Shamansky, Deputy Chief Engineer for Safety & Reliability at Beloyarsk NPP said Rosatom’s roadmap for the construction the unit had been approved. “During 2023, we plan to transfer the materials of the investment project for the capital expenditures of the Rosenergoatom concern. In 2024, we plan to develop design of the structure. Public discussions and a positive environmental review are planned for 2025,” he added. All design work should be completed in 2025, and construction will begin at the end of 2026-2027.
Image courtesy of Rosatom
