Russia's Most Powerful and the World's First Generation III + Reactor Reached 100% Power

Novovoronezh-6 provides for the highest level of operational safety and fully meets all post-Fukushima requirements. It main feature is a combination of active and passive safety systems, which do not require the NPP personnel intervention. In particular, the unit uses the passive heat removal system from the reactor, hydrogen recombiners and core catcher that do not have similarities in the world.

Novovoronezh NPP has been selected as the first Russian nuclear facility to be visited by the ROSATOM’s CEO not by mere chance. “Novovoronezh NPP is the only plant of the kind where all power units are the lead ones. Now, they are preparing VVER-1200 for commercial operation. It is especially important for ROSATOM; it is the world first Generation III+ unit and it is the reference unit, i.e. this design will be used for NPP construction in a number of countries Russia has contracts with. It is a great success of the Russian nuclear technologies that the innovative unit reaches 100%,” Likhachev noted.

Novovoronezh NPP provides for a mere chance to see an evolutionary sequence of VVER (water-cooled water-moderated power reactor) technology on the same site. There are the reactors Nos. 1 and 2 (VVER-210 and VVER-365) built in the Soviet era and now decommissioned. There are units Nos. 3 and 4 (VVER-440) and No. 5 (VVER-1000) that operate just now. And there are the innovative unit No. 6 (VVER-1200) and the construction site of unit No. 7, which will utilize also VVER-1200 reactor. Rosenergoatom, an electricity generation arm of ROSATOM, projects electricity generation by the entire Novovoronezh NPP in 2016 to be 16.2 billion kWh, including about 2.2 billion kWh by Unit 6.

The agreement between ROSATOM and the Government of Voronezh Region has been in place since 2012. It has become an effective tool of support for programs dealing with the development of the nuclear city of Novovoronezh through additional taxes from ROSATOM. Over the period of effect of the agreement, in 2013-2015, the city development programs additionally received RUB 712.3 million; the similar funding will be provided in 2016. As new projects develop at Novovoronezh NPP, ROSATOM’s taxation base will grow and that creates good prerequisites for further development of the region and improvement of wellbeing.