“This new, super-powerful unit generated its first electric power, marking the end of the construction phase and the start of full-scale operation,” Rosatom CEO Alexei Likhachev, who was present at the grid connection ceremony, commented on this remarkable event.

Upon the connection, the reactor ran at 35% of its rated capacity (240 MWe or 240,000 kWe), which is the minimal level for electric power generation. As required by Russian industry regulations, the unit ran at the minimal capacity for 4 hours. This was enough time to generate 1 million kilowatt hours of energy.

“The grid connection has proven to be a success, with all the systems and equipment running smoothly. Having supplied the first kilowatts of power, we completed the grid connection phase and are ready to proceed with operating the unit in a pilot mode,” Vladimir Pereguda, Director of Leningrad NPP, commented on the results.

In February, Russia brought online Rostov Unit 4 with a VVER-1000 reactor. Unit 1 at Leningrad-II serves as a reference unit for a number of NPPs at various stages of project implementation, including Belarus, Hanhikivi 1 and Paks-II projects.