In late January, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev tasked the government with establishing a nuclear cluster in the country. Rosatom is one of the four short-listed suppliers of nuclear technology for Kazakhstan. In late January, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy completed a series of visits to select a technology for the nuclear power plant to be built in the country. The Leningrad NPP in Russia was the final point of the voyage.
The guests were demonstrated the operation of Generation 3+ VVER-1200 pressurized water reactors, plant control room, turbine island, laboratories, and the reactor cooling system. Having visited the host town of Sosnovy Bor in the Leningrad Region, the delegation praised its well-developed infrastructure with new community centers being opened, and sports and educational events organized with support from Rosatom.
“Growing energy deficit forces us to accelerate the construction of our first nuclear power plant and, more generally, to go ahead with establishing a nuclear cluster in the country. This is essential for the progress of our nation.”
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev,
President of Kazakhstan
“The visit to the Leningrad NPP gave us a deep dive into the solutions and safety measures that protect the environment and contribute to the well-being of local residents,” said Kazakhstan’s Energy Minister Almasadam Sätqaliev.
The Leningrad NPP is one of the world’s first nuclear power plants to have power units with Generation 3+ pressurized water reactors, recalls Leningrad NPP Director Vladimir Pereguda.
“Two power units of this nuclear plant prove efficient supplying about 16 billion kWh of electricity to the Russian power grid. The VVER-1200 technology meets all international safety standards and is exported to the leading overseas markets,” Vladimir Pereguda said.
Also in late January, another delegation from Kazakhstan headed by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Russia Dauren Abaev visited a production site of Rosatom’s Mechanical Engineering Division in Petrozavodsk. The guests were shown cutting-edge manufacturing equipment and state-of-the-art solutions for the use of digital and artificial intelligence in mechanical engineering. “Russia is a global leader in nuclear technology. For this reason, its experience in this field is interesting for me as an ambassador,” said Dauren Abaev.
Pressurized water reactors (PWRs) make up the most of the global nuclear capacity as nearly 70% of operating reactors worldwide belong to this type. They also account for over 50% of all nuclear power generated in Russia.
The design of pressurized water reactors (Russian-designed VVERs included) has two circuits. The first (primary) circuit comprises a thermal neutron reactor, four main circulation loops, and a device that controls vapor pressure in the circuit (a pressurizer). Pumps are used to circulate water in the primary circuit. The other (secondary) circuit contains no radioactive materials and comprises a steam generator, and cooling and filtration systems. PWRs differ from other reactor designs in employing water both as a coolant and as a moderator.
VVER-1200 reactors are Rosatom’s flagship design. At present, these reactors are installed at six operating power units, four in Russia and two in the Republic of Belarus. VVER-1200 reactors are also being built in Bangladesh, Hungary, Egypt, Turkey, and China.
Power units with VVER-1200 reactors are among the most efficient, environmentally friendly and safest in the world. They feature a set of active and passive safety systems, many of which are unprecedented. These include, for example, a ‘molten core catcher’. It is a cone-shaped heat-resistant steel container filled with the so-called ‘sacrificial material’. In case of a core meltdown, the core catcher retains radioactive corium fragments and prevents them from escaping into the environment.
The service life of VVER-1200 reactors is 60 years and can be extended for another 20 years. They can operate for 18 months without refueling.
Photo by: Rosatom Mechanical Engineering Division, Atommash
