Plant Operation

Leningrad Largest Nuclear Station In Russia After Latest Unit Goes Commercial

By David Dalton
7 December 2018

Leningrad Largest Nuclear Station In Russia After Latest Unit Goes Commercial
The Leningrad 2 nuclear power station in western Russia. Photo courtesy Rosatom.

7 Dec (NucNet): The start of commercial operation of the Leningrad 2-1 VVER nuclear reactor means the Leningrad nuclear station, with a total installed capacity of 5,240 MW (gross), is the largest operating nuclear facility in Russia, state nuclear corporation Rostom said.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, the 1,085-MW net (1,199 MW gross) unit began commercial operation on 29 October. IAEA statistics put the total gross installed capacity at Leningrad at 5,180 MW, slightly lower than the Rosatom figure. This would still make the station, in Sosnovy Bor, western Russia, the largest by installed capacity in Russia.

Rosatom said all five units at the Leningrad station will operate simultaneously until 22 December when Leningrad-1, which began commercial operation in November 1974, will be shut down for decommissioning.

Leningrad is also the only nuclear station in Russia with two types of nuclear plant in commercial operation. Leningrad-1, -2, -3 and -4 are Russian light-water graphite reactors (LWGRs), or RBMK units, while Leningrad 2-1 is an upgraded Russian VVER-1200 pressurised water reactor, or PWR.

A second PWR, Leningrad 2-2, is under construction and expected to begin commercial operation in 2019. Two further PWRs are planned for the site.

The world’s largest operational nuclear station by gross installed capacity is Canada’s Bruce, which has eight units (6,827 MW gross). The largest used to be Kashiwazaki Kariwa in Japan, but all its seven units were shut down following the 2011 Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear accident.

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