Liquid radioactive waste processing complex at Kola NPP produces 306 tonnes of molten salt in 2025
MURMANSK. Dec 16 (Interfax) - Russia's first liquid radioactive waste processing complex at the Kola Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in the Murmansk region has produced over 306 tonnes of molten salt this year, the power plant's press service reported.
"In 2025, the Kola nuclear plant met its target for liquid radioactive waste processing ahead of schedule, reaching the maximum result of all the years for which the existing complex has been in use, with over 306 tonnes of molten salt produced," the statement said.
The target was 300 tonnes; as such, it has been exceeded by 2%.
Molten salt is the end product of processing liquid radioactive waste. After purification, it becomes the feedstock for extracting useful chemical compounds - in particular, those used in the production of boric acid.
The complex was commissioned for industrial use in 2006. In 2021, it obtained a license to continue operating for another 15 years. Since its launch, it has produced 4,600 tonnes of purified end product.
The processing complex is designed to extract liquid waste from storage vessels, purify radioactive waste from radionuclides, concentrate the radionuclides into a minimal volume and solidify them so that they can be stored safely for 300-500 years.
The project was also reported to have been funded by the European Commission as part of a joint program of TACIS and Rosenergoatom. The funds received from the European Commission amounted to around 10 million euros. Finland's TVO and Atomenergoproject supported Kola NPP in developing the technical documentation.
Kola NPP is a branch of the Rosenergoatom concern located 200 km south of Murmansk, on the shore of Lake Imandra. The NPP is the largest energy provider on the Kola Peninsula, supplying electricity to the Murmansk region and Karelia, and generating about 60% of in the Murmansk region's electricity. The plant has four power units with VVER-440 reactors.
All of the reactors are currently in use, with a combined load of 1.3 GW.
