Nuclear power in the Soviet Union

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At its peak in 1982, nuclear power in the Soviet Union accounted for 6.5% of total electricity consumption and the total nuclear capacity installed was 18 GW. [1] However, nuclear power within the Soviet Union declined severely as a result of the 1986 Chernobyl Disaster.

Contents

History

The Obninsk Nuclear Power Plant in 2008. Obninsk 04710062 (8383320538).jpg
The Obninsk Nuclear Power Plant in 2008.

The first nuclear power plant constructed in the world was the Obninsk Nuclear Power Plant, built near Moscow on June 26, 1954. It was intended as an experiment to determine the capabilities of nuclear power in supplying a commercial grid. At the beginning of its operation, it produced 5 MWe. [2] The power plant proved successful in its experiment and four years later, the Siberian Nuclear Power Station with a 100 MWe capacity was installed and subsequently increased to 600 MWe. Following the development, commercial power stations were constructed in Beloyarsk, Novo-Voronezh, Kola, Leningrad, and Armenia. [3]

In the year 1960, the Soviet Union had a nuclear power capacity of 605 MWe. By 1975, this capacity was increased to 4.7 GW. [3] At this point, the Soviet Union was committed to developing an aggressive nuclear power program. Throughout the 1970s, approximately 10% of electricity powering the Soviet Union came from Nuclear Power Plants and predictions made by Deputy Minister of Power Energy aimed an increase by approximately 400-500% by the year 2000. [4]

All Soviet power reactors were designed by the Ministry of Medium Machine Building (Sredmash), the key Soviet ministry for administering the Soviet nuclear weapons complex from 1953 until 1989 (when it was reorganized into the Ministry of Atomic Energy and Industry of the USSR). The reactors were ordered and administered, however by the Ministry of Energy and Electrification (Minenergo), which was in charge of power production and plant operation. The differences in institutional culture, priorities, and expertise between these two industries have been argued to be core to understanding the choices made by the Soviet Union in the field of nuclear power, notably in its embrace of the controversial RBMK reactor design, which was developed with a priority on ease of local construction, economical value, and the possibility (never implemented) for dual-use plutonium production — with core safety concerns being either de-prioritized or kept secret. [2]

Chernobyl accident of April 26, 1986

On April 26, 1986, an uncontrolled power increase occurred within the core of Reactor No. 4 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant causing an explosion within the core that destroyed the reactor itself, and vented radioactive materials into the atmosphere and surrounding environment, causing dozens of immediate deaths related to the containment of the accident, and potentially tens of thousands of later deaths from cancer. [5] [6] The Chernobyl disaster is one of two disasters ranked as a Level 7 on the International Nuclear Event Scale for the spread of radioactive material and environmental effects, and there are significant areas of Ukraine and Belarus that are still considered contaminated by the accident. [7]

Following the 1986 accident, stances on nuclear power changed, especially so in the USSR. [8] The incident highlighted the threat of the country's 24 RBMK reactors, which were found to have been created with major operational flaws that cause uncontrollable spikes in energy during a reactor's emergency shutdown procedure. [9] These required re-design or replacement to meet safety standards for operation. [4] [10]

The event slowed the nuclear energy program of the Soviet Union, which would not see reinvigoration until after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

List of reactors for electricity production

NameLocation SSR UnitTypeGross Capacity (MWe)OperationalStatusNotes


Armenian Yerevan Armenian 1 VVER 4081976-1988ClosedShutdown after the Spitak Earthquake and Chernobyl accident
2VVER4401980-1988, 1995–OperationalShutdown after the Spitak Earthquake and Chernobyl accident, restarted in 1995. Shutdown expected 2026
Balakovo Balakovo Russian 1 VVER 10001986–Operational
2VVER10001988–Operational
3VVER10001989–Operational
4VVER10001993–Operational
5VVER1000Planned 1970sCancelled
6VVER1000Planned 1970sCancelled
Beloyarsk Zarechny, Sverdlovsk Oblast Russian 1AMB-1001081958-1983Closed
2AMB-2001601962-1990Closed
3 BN-600 6001969-Operational
4 BN-800 8851987-Operational
Chernobyl Chernobyl Ukrainian 1RBMK10001977-1995ClosedShutdown as a result of the Chernobyl Disaster
2RBMK10001978-1991ClosedShutdown as a result of fire damage
3RBMK10001981-1995ClosedShutdown as a result of the Chernobyl Disaster
4RBMK10001983-1986DestroyedCatastrophic meltdown and explosion — the reactor of the Chernobyl Disaster
5RBMK1000Planned 1986CancelledPostponed to 1989, then cancelled by Chernobyl Disaster
6RBMK1000Planned 1988CancelledPostponed to 1989, then cancelled by Chernobyl Disaster
Ignalina Visaginas Lithuanian 1RBMK-150013601983-2004ClosedInitially operated at 1500 MW, de-rated to 1360 after the Chernobyl accident.
2RBMK-150013601987-2009ClosedMeant to come online in 1986, postponed for a year after the Chernobyl accident.
3RBMK-15001500Planned 1991CancelledConstruction cancelled in 1989
4RBMK-15001500Planned 1990sCancelledConstruction cancelled in 1989
Kalinin Udomlya Russian 1 VVER 10001985-OperationalShutdown expected 2025
2VVER10001987-OperationalShutdown expected 2038
3VVER10002005-Operational
4VVER10002012-Operational
Khmelnytskyi Netishyn Ukrainian 1VVER10001973-Operational
2VVER10001973-Operational
3VVER1000Est. 2027Under ConstructionConstruction stopped in 1980s, restarted in 2018
4VVER1000Est. 2028Under ConstructionConstruction stopped in 1980s, restarted in 2018
Kola Polyarnye Zori Russian 1 VVER 4401973-OperationalShutdown expected 2033
2VVER4401975-OperationalShutdown expected 2035
3VVER4401982-OperationalShutdown expected 2042
4VVER4401984-OperationalShutdown expected 2044
Kursk Kursk Russian 1 RBMK 10001977-2021Closed
2RBMK10001979-2024closedShutdown 2024
3RBMK10001983-OperationalShutdown expected 2033 [11] Originally expected in 2028, but prolonged by more 5 years
4RBMK10001985-OperationalShutdown expected in 2035 [11] Originally expected in 2030, but prolonged by more 5 year
5RBMK1000Planned 1991CancelledConstruction cancelled in 2012, nearly 100% complete
6RBMK1000Planned 1992CancelledConstruction cancelled in 1993
Leningrad Sosnovy Bor Russian 1 RBMK 10001974-2018Closed
2RBMK10001976-2020Closed
3RBMK10001980-OperationalShutdown expected 2025
4RBMK10001981-OperationalShutdown expected 2026
Mangyshlak Aktau Kazakh 1BN-3503501973-1999Closed
Novovoronezh Novovoronezh Russian 1 VVER 2101964-1988Closed
2VVER3651970-1990Closed
3VVER4171972-2016Closed
4VVER4171973-OperationalShutdown expected 2032
5VVER9501981-OperationalShutdown expected 2035
Obninsk Obninsk Russian 1AM-151954-2002ClosedWorld's first nuclear power plant
Rivne Varash Ukrainian 1 VVER 4401981-OperationalShutdown expected in 2041
2VVER4401982-OperationalShutdown expected in 2042
3VVER10001986-OperationalShutdown expected in 2041
4VVER10002004-OperationalShutdown expected in 2064
Smolensk Smolensk Russian 1RBMK10001983-OperationalShutdown expected 2027
2RBMK10001985-OperationalShutdown expected 2030
3RBMK10001990-OperationalShutdown expected 2034
4RBMK1000Planned ~1994CancelledConstruction cancelled 1993
South Ukraine Yuzhnoukrainsk Ukrainian 1VVER10001983-OperationalShutdown expected in 2043
2VVER10001985-OperationalShutdown expected in 2045
3VVER10001989-OperationalShutdown expected in 2049
4VVER1000Planned 1991CancelledConstruction halted in 1989 - cooling capability problem
Zaporizhzhia Enerhodar Ukrainian 1 VVER 10001985-Operations SuspendedControlled by Russia since 2022
2VVER10001986-Operations SuspendedControlled by Russia since 2022
3VVER10001987-Operations SuspendedControlled by Russia since 2022
4VVER10001988-Operations SuspendedControlled by Russia since 2022
5VVER10001989-Operations SuspendedControlled by Russia since 2022
6VVER10001996-Operations SuspendedControlled by Russia since 2022

Unfinished reactors

See also

References

  1. Semenov, B.A. "Nuclear power in the Soviet Union" (PDF). IAEA. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
  2. 1 2 Morrissey, John (March 15, 2015). "Obninsk Nuclear Power Plant". Stanford University.
  3. 1 2 Zheludev, I.S. "Nuclear power in the USSR" (PDF). IAEA. Retrieved 1 January 2022.
  4. 1 2 Walker, Martin. "The vision consumed in the fire this time". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  5. "Chernobyl Accident 1986". World Nuclear. May 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  6. "What was the death toll from Chernobyl and Fukushima?". Our World in Data. Retrieved 2022-02-25.
  7. "Level 7 Major Nuclear Accidents: Chernobyl Death Toll and Fukushima". HuffPost. 2011-04-22. Retrieved 2022-02-25.
  8. Walker, Christopher (15 May 2019). "Accident a blow to expanding energy industry". The Times. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  9. Karpan, N. V. (2006). Chernobyl. IKK "Balans-Klub". ISBN   9789668135217 . Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  10. Tucker, Anthony. "Chernobyl factors". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 January 2022.
  11. 1 2 "Атом задерживается". Коммерсантъ (in Russian). 2022-10-28. Retrieved 2023-06-04.