First third generation nuclear plant in service

• 7 years ago (2017-03-06)
• David Flin

Europe 1089 Nuclear 659

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Rosatom has announced that it has begun the commercial operation of what it says is the world’s first third-generation nuclear power reactor. Rosatom said that the generation 3+ VVER reactor has been installed in unit 1 of Russia’s Novovorozonezh Nuclear Power Project 2. The reactor is the same type that will be installed at Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.

The unit was first connected to the Russian grid and started generating electricity on 5 August 2016. Testing was successfully completed on 23 February after 15-day performance testing at 100 per cent capacity.

The Rooppur power project will have two Generation 3+ VVER reactors, each with a capacity of 1200 MW. The first of the two units is expected to go into operation in 2023, the second one in 2024. Rosatom said that the design of these reactors include a combination of active and passive safety features.

The main features of these Generation 3+ reactors include a double containment shell of the reactor hall, and a core catcher located under the reactor vessel, physical protection against natural disasters, industrial accidents, and other emergencies, and a passive residual heat removal system enabling sustained heat removal system enabling sustained heat removal from the reactor core in the absence of any power sources, among others.