Russian regulator Rostechnadzor has issued a licence to extend the service life of the RBMK reactor at unit 4 of the Leningrad NPP following a comprehensive analysis and check the condition of the equipment and documentation. The checks ensured compliance with modern safety and reliability requirements, implementation of measures to modernise and replace components exceeding their service life, and registration and technical inspection of equipment. Previously, the technical condition of the unit had been assessed by several design and research organisations including Atomenergoproekt, the NA Dollezhal Scientific Research & Design Institute of Power Engineering (NIKIET – Nauchno Issledovatelskii i Konstruktorskii Institut EnergoTekhnikh imeni NA Dollezhal) and the National Research Centre Kurchatov Institute.
“Work to extend the service life of existing power units at Russian nuclear power plants has been ongoing since 1998. Our units are no exception,” said station Director Vladimir Pereguda. “An additional period of operation does not just affect electricity generation. It relates to jobs, the continued production of unique isotope products, and systematic work on the construction and commissioning of two new VVER-1200 units.”
Currently Leningrad NPP has four units in operation – units 3&4 with Soviet RBMK-1000 reactors, as well units 5&6 with new VVER-1200 units (also known as Leningrad-II 1&2). Units 5&6 replaced units 1&2 with RBMK-1000 reactors, which were decommissioned in 2018 and 2020. New VVER-1200 units (7&8), now under construction, will replace units 3&4.
Rostechnadzor also issued a licence for the handling of radioactive substances during their production, transportation and storage, that is, for the production of isotope products at unit 4 until 2030. Currently the RBMK reactors of the Leningrad NPP produce: molybdenum-99 (activation), iodine-125, iodine-131, samarium-153 and lutetium-177, used in the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases. At the request of Russian and foreign manufacturers of radiopharmaceuticals, nuclear utility Rosenergoatom produces and regularly increases the line of medical radioisotopes produced at power reactors. Rosenergoatom also produces about 30% of the world’s demand for cobalt-60 in nuclear power reactors.
