Russia’s nuclear regulator Rostekhnadzor has issued a licence to extend the operational lifetime of Unit 3 at the Smolensk nuclear power station about 350k southwest of Moscow for 15 years. The 925-MW light-water graphite reactor (LWGR) unit will now be able to operate for at least 45 years instead of its 30 years it was originally designed for.State nuclear corporation Rosatom said a range of scientific, technical and engineering work was carried out in preparation for the extension. The control systems have undergone almost complete updating and new generation security systems have been installed. Over 2,000 km of cable was laid andmore than 2,000 sets of equipment were installed.