The Russian Ministry of Energy has supported the inclusion of the Nizhny Novgorod region in the general plan for Russia’s electric power facilities in 2027. Commissioning a NPP in the Nizhny Novgorod region is possible in the late 2030s to early 2040s, said Nizhny Novgorod Governor Gleb Nikitin. He noted that the region had long sought construction of NPPs and has now received support from the Ministry of Energy.
Nikitin considers the decision to cancel construction of the Gorky Nuclear Heat Supply Station (GAST) at the end of the last century to be a big mistake. The construction of GAST was underway in the 1980s near the village of Fedyakovo, and was almost completed when construction was frozen in the wake of the 1986 Chornobyl accident.
“Unfortunately, the political situation and the exploitation of people’s fears after the accident at the Chernobyl NPP prevailed over common sense and the objective interests of the region,” Nikitin commented. “After all, the nuclear industry learned lessons from the Chernobyl events, and now the safety of NPPs is at a fundamentally different level.”
The government of the Nizhny Novgorod region has created a working group to look at the siting of a future nuclear plant. Vyksa, Krasnye Baki and the shore of the Gorky Reservoir from Sokolsky were cited as possible locations.
“We hope that the plans will be implemented,” said State Duma deputy and Deputy Chairman of the Energy Committee, Yuri Stankevich. “The megaproject will change the appearance of the region’s energy system beyond recognition providing clean and affordable energy for decades to come.”
