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Nuclear power engineering share amounts to approximately 16% of total electricity generation in Russia. Nuclear share of the entire energy mix for the European part of the country is 30% and for the Northwest – almost 40%.
In 2006 Russia’s nuclear power plants generated 154 GW of electricity, which is 4,8% higher than the volume of electricity production in 2005. The NPPs with VVER nuclears generated 83,1 GW or 114,2% of the amount of the previous year. RMBK, BN, EGP reactors NPPs produced 71,5 GW or 95,7% of the amount of the previous year. All in all Russian NPPs implemented the FTS (Federal [Electricity] Trade System) balance by 102,5%.
Presently in Russia 10 NPPs operate 31 power units with total capacity of 23,2 GW. Of them: 15 PWR (9 VVER-1000 and 6 VVER-440) 15 channel boiling reactors (11 RMBK-1000 and 4 EGP-6) and also one fast neutron reactor BN-600. It is planned to construct in Russia 3 VVER units at Kalinin, Volgodonsk and Balakovo NPPs by 2010. Besides, one more fast neutron reactor (BN-800) is scheduled for commissioning at Beloyarsk NPP. In general in compliance with Federal Program of Nuclear Engineering Development 40 new power units must be constructed by 2030. NPP’s share in electricity generation should be 25% by then.
Russian nuclear industry is a powerful complex of enterprises, organizations and scientific and research institutes. It comprises about 200 enterprises with more than 300 thousand employees. The industry could be divided to four segments: nuclear fuel cycle enterprises, nuclear weapon enterprises, scientific and research institutes and nuclear power plants. They have accumulated vast experience in solving the serious problems of nuclear power engineering, for example, construction of the first nuclear power plant in the world (1954) and creating fuel for it.
Nuclear industry enterprises are controlled by the Federal Agency for Nuclear Energy. The supervision of maintaining radiation and ecological safety is carried out by the Federal Service for Ecological, Technological and Nuclear Supervision.
Nowadays, Russian nuclear power engineering is considered to be one of the most progressive in the world in the field of nuclear reactor design, nuclear fuel fabrication, NPP’s operations, and qualified personnel training. High quality of products and services provided is confirmed by successes in international tenders for nuclear fuel supplies and construction of new NPPs abroad.
In 2005 the Russian nuclear industry celebrated its 60th Anniversary. A Decree of the State Defense Committee that started “nuclear project” in USSR was signed on August 20, 1945. In fact since that moment intensive development of the russian nuclear industry began.
The first NPP in the world started electricity generation on June 26, 1954. The power plant, constructed in the town of Obninsk, was equipped with water cooled channeled graphite moderated reactor that could generate only 5 MW. Academician I. Kurchatov initiated and headed its creation. Kurchatov together with Professor S. Feinberg proposed the idea of the reactor’s core. Academician N. Dollezhal became a chief designer. Nuclear power plant worked for 50 years without an accident. At present it is planned to make it a museum of nuclear power engineering.
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