Russia

LOCATION: Voronezh
ADMINISTRATION:: Director: V. Kononov; [Vladimir Vrendelev, "Problema VAST: obsuzhdat poka nechego," Kommuna, 26 February 2000; in National News Service, http://www.nns.ru.]{Entered 7/24/2000 CC}
TYPE: AST-500, heat-producing only: [Ann MacLachlan, "Russia Okays Plan To Proceed With Major Nuclear Construction," Nucleonics Week, 21 January 1993, pp. 1, 12-13.]
UNITS: Two (unfinished)
POWER: 500 MWt: [Ann MacLachlan, "Russia Okays Plan To Proceed With Major Nuclear Construction," Nucleonics Week, 21 January 1993, pp. 1, 12-13.]
CURRENT STATUS:: Construction of the Voronezh nuclear heating plant (NHP) has been suspended since 15 April 1990. On that date, a referendum was held in which 96 percent of Voronezh voters rejected construction of the reactor.[1] As a result, construction was suspended but not officially stopped. Russian Government Decree No. 1026 of 28 December 1992 provided for the temporary mothballing of the Voronezh NHP, while Voronezh Oblast and federal authorities developed new plans for the further construction of the NHP.[2] On 21 July 1998 the Russian government issued Decree No. 815, which called for the completion of Voronezh NHP. According to the 1998 decree, the Voronezh NHP project would not be financed out of the federal budget. The decree also noted that the State Environmental Commission had issued a summary report on 14 April 1995; this implies the commission had not yet issued a decision regarding the Voronezh NHP project.[3] On 27 May 1998, Rosenergoatom and Voronezh Governor Ivan Shabanov signed a cooperation agreement, after which Voronezh Mayor Aleksandr Tsaplin promised to settle all legal issues to resume the construction as soon as possible.[4] On 25 September 1998 the conclusions of a Voronezh NHP economic feasibility study carried out by a Voronezh Oblast Duma commission were published. The study recommended construction, citing Voronezh's heating deficit. In March 1999 Oblast Duma Chair Anatoliy Goliusov instructed the scientific-technical council to examine the city's heating situation. The nine-month study found that the city actually had unused heating capacity equivalent to four AST-500 reactors. New Oblast Duma hearings were called. In January 2000 the Voronezh Oblast Duma commission that handles NHP issues held a press conference.[8] While the Oblast Duma commission supports construction of the NHP, Rosenergoatom Executive Director Leonid Melamed made it clear during a 19 November 1999 visit to Voronezh that construction could only resume with the support of the city council as well.[1,8] Governor Shabanov pushed the city council to act. However, local public opinion polls reportedly indicate that 80 percent of the local populace remains opposed to the completion of the reactors.[1] As of July 2000, construction has not been resumed.; Yadernyy Kontrol reported that as of 1 January 1995, the cost of completion of construction of Unit 1 was estimated at $543.4 million.[5] Rosenergoatom and local funds will provide money for the completion of the construction.[6] Minatom is also ready to finance the last stages of the construction. If, however, for some reason construction does not resume, the equipment will be transferred to Tomsk.[7]; Sources:; [1] "Rezultaty vizita predstaviteley Minatoma v Voronezh," Anti-Atom Press, November 1999, http://cci.glasnet.ru/antinuclear/rus/aap/aap241.htm. {Updated 4/28/2000 CC}; [2] Government Decree No. 1026, Voprosy stroitelstva atomnykh stantsiy na territorii Rossiyskoy Federatsii, 28 December 1992; in The legislation in Russia database, http://law.optima.ru.; [3] Government Decree No. 815, Ob utverzhdenii Programmy razvitiya atomnoy energetiki Rossiyskoy Federatsii na 1998-2005 gody i na period do 2010 goda, 21 July 1998; in The legislation in Russia database, http://law.optima.ru.; [4] Andrey Muchnik, "Voronezh Environmentalists Seek to Block Revived Nuclear Station," EWI Russian Regional Report, online edition, http://www.iews.org/rrrabout.nsf/pages/rrr+page, Vol. 3, No. 45, 12 November 1998.; [5] "Effects Of Atomic Energy Industry On Energy Safety Of Russia And Europe," Yadernyy Kontrol, October 1995, pp. 11-13.; [6] "Voronezh Agrees to Nuclear Heat Power Plant," Bellona: Nuclear Chronicle From Russia, No. 10, November/December 1998, p. 10.; [7] Pavel Selin, Novosti newscast, TV-6, 2 July 1998; in "Uncompleted Nuclear Station May Lose Equipment," FBIS-SOV-98-202. {Updated 7/8/99 VT}; [8] Vladimir Vrendelev, "Problema VAST: obsuzhdat poka nechego," Kommuna, 26 February 2000; in National News Service, http://www.nns.ru. {Entered 7/24/2000 CC}

Page last updated 13 September 2000
For more recent developments, see the Nuclear Power Developments file.

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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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