The first two units at Russia’s planned Kola-II NPP are to be constructed between 2027 and 2037, according to nuclear utility Rosenergoatom. They will be the first of four innovative 600 MWe VVER-S reactors at Kola-II, which will be constructed a few kilometres from the existing Kola NPP near the town of Polyarnye Zori.
Kola NPP, with four VVER-440 reactors, was the first nuclear power plant to be built in the harsh climatic conditions of the Arctic. Today it transmits electricity through five power transmission lines, providing reliable power supply to the northern part of the Republic of Karelia, where most of the region’s large industrial enterprises are located, as well as more than 50% of consumers on the Kola Peninsula. Unit 1 began operation in 1973.
The medium-power VVER-S, with spectral regulation, has a design service life of 80 years and the ability to participate in a closed nuclear fuel cycle through the use of mixed oxide (MOX) uranium-plutonium fuel. Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev discussed the construction of Kola-II during a recent working visit to the plant. Other key topics discussed were extending the service life of units of Kola 1&2 and expanding the open switchgear (ORU – Oktritovo Raspredelitelnovo Ustroistva) of the Kola NPP for gasification of the Murmansk region.
“Kola NPP-II will be the first station with modern units with an average capacity of 600 MWe each. The implementation of the project will allow us to confidently develop the economy and social sphere of the region and will open up opportunities for launching new industrial projects on its territory,” said Likhachev. “The medium-power project is innovative and meets modern requirements of energy systems, including requirements for manoeuvrability, which is especially important for regions with network restrictions, including the Kola Peninsula.”
He added that having built units with a capacity of 600 MWe, means Rosatom will have a full portfolio of proposals to fulfil any request for energy systems: from low-power NPPs in floating and ground-based versions to high-power stations with VVER-1200 reactors.
The open switchgear expansion project will provide an opportunity to increase electricity consumption in the north of the Kola Peninsula, which is projected at over 900 MWe due to the construction of a liquefied gas plant. Today, the two 330 kV lines in operation are no longer sufficient, so expansion is required by installing an additional 330 kV cell and building a power line and substations. The route of the line has been determined in advance: from the Kola NPP through Olenegorsk to a new substation Arctic, located on the eastern side of the Kola Bay near Murmansk. The work is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2029, including installation of a new cell and connection of a power transmission line.
During his visit, Likhachev inspected the production sites of the Kola NPP: the turbine room and the control panel at unit 4. He also visited key facilities for nuclear scientists in the city of Polyarnye Zori – the Centre for Industrial Medicine of the Medical & Sanitary and the Polyarnozorinsky Energy College.
“Thanks to state corporation Rosatom and the Kola NPP, over the past years a significant number of projects have been implemented aimed at improving the lives of the population and the comprehensive development of the city of Polyarnye Zori and the surrounding area,” said Kola NPP Director Vasily Omelchuk. “Modern educational institutions have been created, medical infrastructure has been updated, public areas and streets have been improved, new housing has been built, and city communications have been reconstructed and modernised. An integrated approach made it possible to turn Polyarnye Zori into a dynamic developing city that attracts young people and highly qualified specialists.”
See also: Russia unveils nuclear expansion plan
