Russian oversight service licenses Zaporozhye NPP to operate 1st reactor unit

MOSCOW. Dec 23 (Interfax) - The Federal Service for the Supervision of Environment, Technology and Nuclear Management (Rostekhnadzor) has licensed the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant to operate the first reactor unit, an Interfax correspondent reported from a ceremony hosted by Rostekhnadzor.

The license is valid for ten years. Obtaining it is a key stage in providing the long-term, safe operation of the reactor unit beyond its design service life, Rosatom said.

A major overhaul of reactor units is scheduled for 2026. Licenses for operating the second-to-sixth reactor units are due to be issued in 2026-2027, it said.

Rosatom head Alexei Likhachev said earlier that once the agreements on settling the Ukrainian conflict are reached, Rosatom will begin to revive the Zaporozhye NPP and will distribute power generated by it in Donbass and in Russia.

The Zaporozhye NPP with six VVER-1000 reactor units is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. It stopped generating electricity on September 11, 2022. All six reactors are in a cold shutdown.