Rosenergoatom General Director Andrey Petrov noted:
“The beginning of the physical launch operations actually means that all work related to the construction of the unit has been completed. Today, this most important equipment of the unit has received the status of a “nuclear power plant”, and nuclear scientists have assumed responsibility for the safe operation of the unit for many years ahead."
Upon completion of the fuel loading, the reactor will be brought to the so-called minimum controlled power level (up to 1%) to ensure the safety of all physical processes in it. The physical start-up of the new power unit will be followed by: power start-up, pilot operation and comprehensive testing of the power unit. Commissioning of the power unit is scheduled for 2021. The new VVER-1200 power unit of Leningrad NPP will replace the capacity of power unit No. 2 with the RBMK-1000 reactor, which after 45 years of service will be finally shut down at the end of this year.
The VVER-1200 project is the flagship reactor of generation 3+ of the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom and the only reactor of generation 3+ in the world produced in series. Unit 2 of Leningrad NPP-2 will become the fourth in a series of units, along with units 1 and 2 of Novovoronezh NPP-2, launched in 2016 and 2019, respectively, and unit 1 of Leningrad NPP-2, launched in 2017.
The VVER-1200 design has a number of advantages over the previous generation (VVER-1000). Thus, the capacity of the reactor plant has increased by 20%, the number of personnel has been reduced by 30-40%, the life time of the main equipment has been doubled and totals 60 years with the possibility of extending for another 20 years.
Among others, the following countries decided to implement this technology: Finland, Hungary, China, Bangladesh, Belarus, Turkey. Rosatom's portfolio of foreign projects includes 36 blocks at different stages of implementation in 12 countries of the world.
