Final Tests Occur at Unit I of Russia's Leningrad II Nuclear Power Plant

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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--The first unit of the new Leningrad II nuclear power plant in Russia has been brought up to the minimum controllable power (MCP) level in preparation for full commissioning later this year.

Russia's state-owned nuclear power major, Rosatom Corporation (Moscow, Russia), said that Unit 1, the first of four units at the new plant, will start the full commissioning process in spring. MCP is less than 1% of total power and is achieved after a controlled fission chain reaction is begun in the reactor. The neutron flux monitoring equipment recorded the reactor's "stable neutron power," the company stated. Unit 2 is currently under construction.

Leningrad II is the second plant in Russia, after Rostov, to use the new generation III VVER-1200 pressurised water reactors (PWRs), which will replace the existing reactors on site. The current Leningrad nuclear power plant uses four RMBK-1000 units, which were commissioned between 1974 and 1981. The first of these older reactors--the same type as were used in the ill-fated Chernobyl nuclear plant in Ukraine--is due to be decommissioned in 2019, with the others to follow in 2021, 2025, 2026.

Commenting on the event, General Director of Rosenergoatom Andrei Petrov said: "Achievement of MCP is the final link in the operation chain of the first criticality program of the unit which started on December 8, 2017. High quality and timely implementation of all planned works has allowed us to bring the reactor safely and in due time."

Leningrad Plant Manager Vladimir Pereguda added: "It is symbolic that the plant started this year with a great achievement; it has produced a record amount of electricity for domestic nuclear power plants, 1 billion kilowatt-hours. The team of Leningrad NPP has prepared Unit 1 for MCP in due time. And now, before our eyes, the most powerful unit is born to the family of Leningrad NPP, which will multiply this achievement."

In the coming week, plant specialists will conduct a set of physical experiments including the neutronics characteristics of the first reactor fuel charge as well as the reliability of numerous protection systems, interlocks and the monitoring and control safety systems of the reactor. This will conclude the criticality program for Unit 1, after which preparations will start for first power and pilot commercial operation.

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