Balakovo Nuclear Power Plant | |
---|---|
| |
Country | Russia |
Coordinates | 52°5′28″N 47°57′19″E / 52.09111°N 47.95528°E |
Status | Operational |
Construction began | December 1, 1980 |
Commission date | May 23, 1986 |
Owner(s) | |
Operator(s) | Rosenergoatom |
Nuclear power station | |
Reactor type | VVER |
Power generation | |
Units operational | 4 x 1,000 MW |
Units under const. | 1 x 1,000 MW |
Nameplate capacity | 4,000 MW |
Capacity factor | 82.9% |
Annual net output | 29,062 GW·h |
External links | |
Website | Official website |
Commons | Related media on Commons |
Balakovo nuclear power station ( Russian: Балаковская АЭС, romanized: Balakovskaya AES [ ]) is located in the city of Balakovo, Saratov Oblast, Russia, about 900 kilometres (560 mi) south-east of Moscow. It consists of four operational reactors; a fifth unit is still under construction. Owner and operator of the nuclear power station is Rosenergoatom.
Balakovo NPP participates in a twinning program between nuclear power stations in Europe and Russia; since 1990 it has been in partnership with Biblis Nuclear Power Plant. [1]
The Balakovo Nuclear Power Plant has four operating units:
Unit [2] | Reactor type | Net capacity |
Gross capacity |
Construction started |
Electricity grid |
Commercial operation |
Shutdown |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Balakovo-1 | VVER-1000/320 | 950 MW | 1,000 MW | 1980-12-01 | 1985-12-28 | 1986-05-23 | 2045 planned |
Balakovo-2 | VVER-1000/320 | 950 MW | 1,000 MW | 1981-08-01 | 1987-10-08 | 1988-01-12 | 2043 planned [3] |
Balakovo-3 | VVER-1000/320 | 950 MW | 1,000 MW | 1982-11-01 | 1988-12-25 | 1989-04-08 | 2048 planned [4] |
Balakovo-4 | VVER-1000/320 | 950 MW | 1,000 MW | 1984-04-01 | 1993-05-12 | 1993-12-22 | 2053 planned |
Balakovo-5 | VVER-1000/320 | 950 MW | 1,000 MW | 1987-04-01 | - | - | Construction suspended 1992-12-28 |
Balakovo-6 | VVER-1000/320 | 950 MW | 1,000 MW | 1988-05-01 | - | - | Construction suspended 1992-12-28 |
In 2018 Rosatom announced it had developed a thermal annealing technique for reactor pressure vessels which ameliorates radiation damage and extends service life by between 15 and 30 years. This had been demonstrated on unit 1. [5]
On 27 June 1985 during startup of the first reactor unit, a human error (later attributed to inexperience and haste) unexpectedly opened a pressurizer relief valve, and 300 °C (572 °F) steam entered the staff work area. Fourteen people were killed. [6] This event is cited as one of the predecessors of the Chernobyl disaster. [7]