Nuclearisthefuture

The floating nuclear power plant (FNPP) Akademik Lomonosov has been fully commissioned in Pevek, which is in the Chukotka region of Russia’s Far East. The milestone was made official following the approval of Rosenergoatom General Director Andrey Petrov. Rosenergoatom is the operator subsidiary of the state nuclear corporation Rosatom.

Petrov’s approval was possible after the regional branch of Russian regulator Rostechnadzor issued a “statement of conformity” for Akademik Lomonosov, which verifies that the FNPP had been inbuilt accordance with all project documentation requirements. Additionally, the project had received approval from Rosprirodnadzor, the chief authority controlling and supervising activities in the field of environmental management. Rosenergoatom said today that receiving these documents meant the FNPP “fully adheres to all or any norms and regulations, including sanitary, epidemiological, environmental, fire safety, construction requirements and federal standards”.

“Today we will consider the floating nuclear power plant construction project successfully completed. we have finished our main task for this year – fully commissioned the FNPP in Pevek, Chukotka region. Today, it officially becomes the 11th atomic power plant in Russia and also the northernmost one in the world,” Petrov said.

The FNPP, which comprises two 35-megawatt KLT-40C reactors, started providing electricity to the isolated grid of the Chaun-Bilibino energy centre of Chukotka on 19 December, 2019.

It has generated quite 47.3 GWh of electricity since being connected to the grid and currently covers 20% of the Chaun-Bilibino energy centre’s demand. it’ll become the most energy source for Chukotka following the shutdown of the Bilibino atomic power plant.

Its power and heat capacities are 70 MW and 50 Gcal/h (210 GJ/h), respectively. it is 140 metres long and 30 metres wide, and its displacement is 21,500 tonnes.

Russia’s regulator Rostechnadzor has issued a permit for the physical start-up of Leningrad II unit 2, which completed hot tests last week. The regulator’s inspection of the unit “confirmed its high degree of readiness for the start of physical launch, during which nuclear fuel will be loaded into the reactor core for the first time”, state nuclear corporation Rosatom said today.

The commissioning of the power unit, also referred to as Leningrad 6, is scheduled for the first quarter of 2021.

The latest regulatory inspection took fortnight and included: checking the unit’s documentation, examining the facilities and equipment, monitoring the operation of technological systems, touring the workplaces of operator personnel and conducting interviews with them to assess their professional training and qualifications.

Alexander Belyaev, chief engineer of the Leningrad II plant, said activities preceding physical start-up of the VVER-1200 unit have entered the final stage. Next will be the adjustment to equipment ready for the primary fuel loading. “We expect to enter the phase of physical launch at the peak of the summer,” he said.

The existing Leningrad plant site in Sosnovy Bor has four RBMK-1000 units, while Leningrad II will have four VVER-1200 units. Leningrad unit 1 was pack up for decommissioning on 21 December last year. Leningrad II unit 1 was connected to the grid on 9 March 2018, becoming the second VVER-1200 reactor to start out up, following the launch in 2016 of Novovoronezh unit 6.

Tag: Nuclearisthefuture

Russia Commissions Floating NPP!

Leningrad II-2 gets regulatory approval for physical start-up