Rosatom might launch almost 28.5 GW of nuclear power capacity in Russia by 2042

MOSCOW. Aug 21 (Interfax) - There are plans to put about 28.5 GW of new nuclear power generating capacity into operation in Russia in the period to 2042, according to the draft general plan for deployment of electric power facilities to 2042.

The largest amount of new nuclear capacity, 8.4 GW, is planned for the unified energy system (UES) of Central Russia, supporting materials for the plan said. This includes the construction of four new generating units at the Kursk-2 NPP with combined installed capacity of 4.8 GW, two new units at the Smolensk NPP with capacity of 2.4 GW and a 1.2 GW unit at the Novovoronezh-2 NPP.

In the Ural UES, there are plans to launch 5.015 GW of new capacity, including 1.255 GW at the Reftinsky NPP in Sverdlovsk Region and two units with capacity of 2.51 GW at the Yuzhnouralsk NPP in Chelyabinsk Region.

In the Siberia UES, there are plans to launch 5.32 GW, which primarily refers to the construction of the 5.02 GW Krasnoyarsk NPP, to be put into operation in stages starting in 2037.

In the Northwest UES, there are plans to build 4.1 GW of nuclear capacity, including two new units with capacity of 1.8 GW at the Kola-2 NPP and two additional units for 2.3 GW at the Leningrad-2 NPP.

In the South UES, there are plans to launch the 2.4 GW Novocherkassk NPP in Rostov Region with two units to be put into operation in 2036 and 2037.

In the East UES, state company Rosatom wants to build 2.4 GW of capacity, including 1.2 GW at both the Primorsk and Khabarovsk nuclear power plants. These will be new units with average capacity of 600 MW each.

"The greatest priority should be given to NPP projects in the UES of Siberia and the East due to the shortage of basic capacity," the materials said.

"Furthermore, in the period to 2042 there are plans to build NPPs in areas not connected to the UES of Russia in the amount of 544 MW," the document said. This refers to the Yakutia and Chukotka mini nuclear plant projects and the modernized floating nuclear plant for the Baimsky GOK copper mining project.

The plan is to build generating units with VVER-TOI and VVER-S reactors where large single-unit capacity is not possible. The plan also mentions small- and medium-capacity technology, as well as the introduction of closed nuclear cycle technology with the rollout of RBN fast neutron reactors.

The plan is to build 10.37 MW of capacity with RBMK-1000, VVER-440, VVER-1000, EGP-6 and BN-600 reactors, with 8.34 GW coming online in 2031-2041 and a little over 2 GW going into operation in 2025-2030. This forecast is based on data from Rosatom, the document said.

The general plan projects that the share of nuclear power in Russia's generating capacity will grow to 15.3% by 2042 from 11.69% in 2023, in which case the share of thermal power plant will shrink to 56.55% from 65.62%, while hydropower will account for 20.65% and other renewable energy sources will generate 7.5%.