Russia

LOCATION: Polyarnyye Zori, 8km from Kola NPP (Murmansk): [Igor Kudrik, "New NPP Completion Unlikely," Bellona: Nuclear Chronicle from Russia, July/August 1998, p.12.] {entered 10/20/99 CC}
TYPE: VVER-640, also called V-407
UNITS: Three
POWER: 640 MWe
DEPUTY CHIEF ENGINEER: Yevgeniy Ignatenko: [N. Krol, "Economics: Every Little Bit Helps the Oblast--The KAES-2," Murmanskiy vestnik, 23 May 1995, p. 1.]
CURRENT STATUS:: Site preparation has begun. Yadernyy Kontrol reported that as of 1 January 1995, the cost of construction of Unit 1 was estimated at $492.7 million. In 1996, Nucnet reported that the 640 MWe VVER-640, designed by Gidropress, would be assembled in St. Petersburg by Atomenergoproyekt; actual construction was to begin in 1997. In 1996, Interfax reported that the first reactors should be operational by the year 2010.[4] On 3 March 1999, however, Minister of Atomic Energy Yevgeniy Adamov said that construction may be halted.[5] It would resume in 2002 if no alternative replacement for the existing Kola reactors has been found.[6] (For information on the existing units at this site please see the Kola NPP file.); Sources:; [1] ITAR-TASS, 11/2/94; in "Official Notes 'Safest Reactors' for New Plant," FBIS-SOV-94-213, 11/2/94.; [2] "Go-ahead For New Generation Russian Reactors," Nucnet, 3 July 1996 via Internet: http://www.aey.ch/nucnet/news/960703a.html, nucnet@atagbe.ch.; [3] "Effects Of Atomic Energy Industry On Energy Safety Of Russia And Europe," Yadernyy kontrol, October 1995, pp. 11-13.; [4] "Uchenyye Kolskogo nauchnogo tsentra RAN predlagayut alternativu stroitelstvu v Murmanskoy oblasti Kolskoy AES-2," Interfax, 4 May 1999.; [5] "Stroitelstvo vtoroy ocheredi Kolskoy AES mozhet byt priostanovleno," Interfax, No. 4, 3 March 1999.; [6] Igor Kudrik, "Kola-2 NPP 'inexpedient,'" Bellona website, http://www.bellona.no/e/russia/990304-ik.htm, 4 March 1999. {updated 11/4/99 CC}

KOLA NPP-2 DEVELOPMENTS (For more recent developments, see the Nuclear Power Developments file):

5/4/99: SCIENTISTS PROPOSE CONVERSION OF KOLA NPP TO GAS IN LIEU OF KOLA NPP-2 CONSTRUCTION: For more information, see the 5/4/99 entry under Kola NPP.
3/3/99: CONSTRUCTION MAY BE HALTED: On 3 March 1999, Minister of Atomic Energy Yevgeniy Adamov informed Interfax that construction of Kola NPP-2 may be halted. At a meeting of the Ministry of Transportation and the Ministry of Atomic Energy held in Murmansk, local experts stated that other energy sources, such as hydroelectric power and gas from the Yamal peninsula, could be used by the region. According to Adamov, alternatives must be studied and evaluated in terms of cost efficiency. Nonetheless, Minatom is committed to extending the service life of existing Kola NPP reactors.[1] The construction of Kola NPP-2 may be resumed in three years if there are no other alternatives to replace the existing Kola reactors.[2]; Sources:; [1] "Stroitelstvo vtoroy ocheredi Kolskoy AES mozhet byt priostanovleno," Interfax, No. 4, 3 March 1999. {Entered 3/15/99 LBB}; [2] Igor Kudrik, "Kola-2 NPP 'inexpedient,'" Bellona website, http://www.bellona.no/e/russia/990304-ik.htm, 4 March 1999. {Updated 7/12/99 VT}
6/19/98: ENVIRONMENTALISTS SET UP PROTEST CAMP BETWEEN KOLA NPP AND KOLA NPP-2: On 19 June 1998 protests began near the Kola plants. Approximately 100 activists from the Socio-Ecological Union, Ecodefense, and the locally based GAIA are protesting the construction of Kola NPP-2 and the continued operation of Kola NPP.; [Igor Kudrik, "New NPP Completion Unlikely," Bellona: Nuclear Chronicle from Russia, July/August 1998, p.12.] {entered 10/20/99 CC}
5/5/98: ELECTRICITY EXPORT INCOME TO SUPPORT CONSTRUCTION: In an agreement signed on 5 May 1998 by Acting Minister of Atomic Energy Yevgeniy Adamov and Murmansk Oblast Governor Yuriy Yevdokimov, plans were made to collaborate on the construction of a complex to export electricity to the Scandinavian countries participating in Nordel. The resulting income will be earmarked for the construction of Kola NPP-2, as well as for replacing power sold to Scandinavia from the Kola NPP and for radioactive waste processing.; [Vladimir Tatur, "Budut razgrebat yadernuyu pomoyku," Vecherniy Murmansk, 8 May 1998, p. 2.] {Entered 8/14/98 LBB}
1996: KOLA NPP REACTOR CONSTRUCTION APPROVED: The construction of new reactors at Kola has been approved. While plans call for the first new reactor to come on line in 2005, Interfax reports that 2010 is the more likely date.; ["Uchenyye Kolskogo nauchnogo tsentra RAN predlagayut alternativu stroitelstvu v Murmanskoy oblasti Kolskoy AES-2," Interfax, 4 May 1999.]{entered 10/20/99 CC}

Last updated 3 February 2000
For more recent developments, see the Nuclear Power Developments file.

Comments or questions? Contact Cristina Chuen at MIIS CNS: Cristina.Chuen@miis.edu

This material is produced independently for NTI by the Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of and has not been independently verified by NTI or its directors, officers, employees, agents. Copyright © 2002 by MIIS.

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