Abby L. Harve reports that Russia’s nuclear power station operations arm Rosenergoatom brought its most powerful nuclear reactor to date into commercial operation in February 2017, marking the latest evolution of its Water-Water Energetic Reactor (VVER) technology. The reactor, Unit 6 of the Novovoronezh plant, holds many lessons for future nuclear developments. Rosenergoatom regards its Novovoronezh Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) as a living history of nuclear power, featuring six units (with more under construction) each an improvement over the last. The plant has been the first facility to launch and operate all new VVER unit types for the last 50 years. “The Novovoronezh NPP is a kind of an open-air museum which allows tracing the whole life cycle of VVER reactors including, operation, modernization, life extension, and decommissioning,” a spokesperson for Rosenergoatom told POWER.
The plant is home to the first VVER-440 reactors to have their operational life extended via an annealing of the reactor vessel. The plant’s VVER-1000 reactor was modernized and upgraded to meet post-Fukushima safety requirements, while decommissioning of Units 1, 2, and 3 is currently underway. “Novovoronezh NPP is a genuine training center for the world nuclear industry,” Rosenergoatom said. With the completion of Unit 6, Novovoronezh has continued its legacy of innovation. The latest operational iteration of Russia’s VVER technology entered into commercial operation on February 27, 2017. The unit, also referred to as Unit 1 of Novovoronezh NPP-2, is seen by Rosenergoatom as a significant step up from its predecessors.
“The new VVER-1200 power unit is based on the latest advancements and developments which all comply with all post-Fukushima safety requirements (this is why the unit is considered to be Generation III+ advanced reactor). At present this is the most powerful nuclear power unit in Russia which enjoys three key advantages: high productivity, durability, and safety,” according to Rosenergoatom.Novovoronezh NPP-2 is the first nuclear power plant of the new generation AES-2006 design with VVER-1200 reactors. “The AES-2006 design is the standardized nuclear power plant design that embodied the latest achievements of the Russian engineering. It is based on technical solutions of the AES-92 design,” according to Atomenergoproekt, the general design and construction contractor for Novovoronezh NPP-2.
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