Beloyarsk Nuclear Power Station

Beloyarsk Nuclear Power Station is a nuclear power plant located in Zarechny, Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia. It is named after the Beloyarsky District in which it is situated. The power station is operated by Rosenergoatom, a subsidiary of the state-owned corporation Rosatom.

History[edit]

The construction of the Beloyarsk Nuclear Power Station began in 1958, making it one of the first nuclear power plants in the Soviet Union. The first unit of the power station, a AM-1 ("Atom Mirny", or "Peaceful Atom"), was connected to the grid on April 26, 1964.

Reactors[edit]

The Beloyarsk Nuclear Power Station has had a total of four reactors throughout its history. The first two units, both AM-1 reactors, were decommissioned in 1983 and 1989 respectively. The third unit, a fast breeder reactor (FBR) named BN-600, has been in operation since 1980. The fourth unit, a BN-800 FBR, was connected to the grid in December 2015.

BN-600[edit]

The BN-600 is a sodium-cooled fast breeder reactor, with a capacity of 600 MW. It is the oldest operating FBR in the world and the largest in terms of thermal power.

BN-800[edit]

The BN-800 is an advanced sodium-cooled fast breeder reactor with a capacity of 800 MW. It is designed to use a fuel mixture of uranium and plutonium, with the aim of reducing the volume of nuclear waste.

Safety and Environment[edit]

The Beloyarsk Nuclear Power Station has implemented several safety measures to prevent nuclear accidents. These include a double containment structure for the BN-800 reactor and a passive cooling system for the reactor core.

The power station also has a comprehensive waste management system. The spent nuclear fuel is reprocessed and the remaining waste is stored in a secure facility.

Future Plans[edit]

Rosatom has plans to replace the BN-600 reactor with a new generation fast reactor, the BN-1200. The construction of the BN-1200 is expected to start in 2023.