A draft plan including as many as 34 new nuclear power units in Russia by 2042 has been published for public consultation - they are a mix of large and small reactors, and include replacement of existing units as well as new locations.

The proposed new capacity is part of the draft plan for electric power facilities published by the Unified Energy System of Russia. It proposes that by 2042 the share of electricity generated by nuclear power will have increased from 18.9% to 23.5% and takes into account Rosatom’s proposal for up to 37 new units.

The new capacity includes four VVER-TOI units due to be commissioned at the Kursk II Nuclear Power Plant between 2025 and 2034, and three VVER-S/600 units at the Kola Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) between 2035 and 2040, plus two new VVER units at Smolensk NPP from 2033 to 2035. At Novocherkassk, the proposal is for two new ‘VVER-optimum’ reactors with a capacity of 2400 MW to be commissioned between 2036 and 2038. It also includes new units at the Reftinskaya, South Ural and Krasnoyarsk nuclear power plants between 2038 and 2042 as well as the pilot BREST-OD-300 demonstration power unit at Seversk which is planned for commissioning in 2028.

According to Strana Rosatom, “Nuclear power plants are also planned to be built in Primorsky and Khabarovsk Krais. These will be two-block nuclear power plants with VVER-S/600 reactors with a total capacity of 1200 MW. A low-power nuclear power plant with four RITM-400 reactors with a total capacity of 320 MW is planned to be built in Norilsk. The Chukotka ASMM, the Baimsky MPEB and the Yakutsk ASMM are also included in the project, but they are located in territories that are not technologically connected to the Unified Energy System of Russia.”

The largest increase in nuclear generation is expected in Siberia, Russia’s Far East and the Urals - a total of 12.7 GW with a total of 13 new power units.

Rosatom Director General, Alexei Likhachev, said: “As part of implementing the order of the President of the Russian Federation to achieve a share of nuclear energy of 25% by 2045 in the country’s energy mix, a large-scale programme for the construction of nuclear power units has been implemented since 2007. The new general scheme provides for the construction of 28 gigawatts of new nuclear power generation by 2042. Having implemented such an ambitious task, we will be able to provide the country’s regions with clean energy for decades to come and create a basis for stable economic growth.”

The draft is open for consultation until 20 September and, following any revisions, will be submitted to the government with Rosatom anticipating signing to take place in December.

A number of the units included in the draft list are already under construction. Among those hoping to start construction soon is the second stage of the Smolensk NPP where site preparation has begun in the area, cleared of vegetation, earmarked for the new site. Temporary facilities for construction workers are also being prepared.

Alexander Chebotarev, deputy head of the capital construction department of the Smolensk NPP said: “In order to start concreting the foundation slab of the reactor building of power unit No 1, it is necessary to construct supporting facilities as soon as possible. These are treatment facilities, utility networks, reinforcement facilities, a concrete mixing unit, warehouses, administrative and utility buildings, and others. We will begin constructing the infrastructure in 2025, as soon as the state examination of the design documentation for these facilities is completed and we receive permission for construction.”