Kaliningrad Nuclear Power Plant
Encyclopedia
The Kaliningrad Nuclear Power Plant (also referred as Baltic Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) or Baltiiskaya NPP, ) is a nuclear power plant
under construction 13 kilometers south-east of Neman
, in Kaliningrad Oblast
, Russia
. It is seen as a counter-project to the plan to build the Visaginas nuclear power plant
in Lithuania
and is considered not only as energy, but also as a geopolitical project.
, the first reactor will supply for the Kaliningrad Oblast needs while the electricity produced by the second reactor will be exported. Lithuania, Poland and Germany are named as potential export markets.
Sergey Boyarkin has said that the shutdown of Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant
combined with Polish
plans to scrap coal-fired generation in compliance with environmental regulation means that the Baltic region faces an energy crisis by 2015. He also has said that Kaliningrad Oblast will be isolated from electricity supplies from Russia if the Baltic states de-synchronize themselves from the Russian electricity grid
and join the synchronous grid of Continental Europe (ENTSO-E grid). He as also mentioned technical complications and unreliability of electricity transfer from Smolensk Nuclear Power Plant
, the main supplier of Kaliningrad Oblast, via Belarus and Lithuania.
On the other hand, the project has been seen as a counter-project to the Visaginas nuclear power plant project in Lithuania. Russia has invited Lithuania to participate in the project, instead of building the nuclear power plant in Lithuania.
and Governor of Kaliningrad Oblast Georgy Boos
on 16 April 2008. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin signed the order for construction of the 2,300 Megawatt plant in September 2009. Ground preparation works started on 25 February 2010 and the first concrete is scheduled to be laid in April 2011.
pressurized water reactors in an AES-2006 standard design configuration. The reactors have a capacity of 1150 MWe each and will be supplied by Atomstroyexport
.
The first reactor is planned to be operational by 2016 with onsite construction started in 2010, and the second build-out will be from 2012 to 2018. Cost is expected to be around €6 billion and design is to be completed by the end of 2009. Two further reactors could be added in the future depending on economic development in Kaliningrad and in the Baltic region in general.
. According to Rosatom, 49% of shares in the project will be offered to European companies. This will be the first Russian nuclear power plant with foreign participation. It is not decided yet which companies will participate in the project. Potential investors named in this context are ČEZ
, Enel
, and Iberdrola
.
Nuclear power plant
A nuclear power plant is a thermal power station in which the heat source is one or more nuclear reactors. As in a conventional thermal power station the heat is used to generate steam which drives a steam turbine connected to a generator which produces electricity.Nuclear power plants are usually...
under construction 13 kilometers south-east of Neman
Neman (town)
Neman is a town and the administrative center of Nemansky District of Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia. It is located in the historic Prussia region, east of the town of Sovetsk, on the steep southern bank of the Neman River, where it currently forms the border with the Klaipėda Region in...
, in Kaliningrad Oblast
Kaliningrad Oblast
Kaliningrad Oblast is a federal subject of Russia situated on the Baltic coast. It has a population of The oblast forms the westernmost part of the Russian Federation, but it has no land connection to the rest of Russia. Since its creation it has been an exclave of the Russian SFSR and then the...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. It is seen as a counter-project to the plan to build the Visaginas nuclear power plant
Visaginas nuclear power plant
Visaginas nuclear power plant is a planned nuclear power plant project in Lithuania. It is proposed to be built at the site of the closed Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant which was shut-down on 31 December 2009 in accordance with Lithuania's accession agreement to the European Union...
in Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
and is considered not only as energy, but also as a geopolitical project.
Motivation
The nuclear power plant is foreseen to secure power supply for the Kaliningrad Oblast and to replace a natural gas-based power generation. It has been mentioned that the Kaliningrad Oblast needs the project "because for the time being it imports energy from NATO countries." The excess electricity is planned to be exported into the EU market. According to Sergey Boyarkin, deputy general director of RosenergoatomRosenergoatom
Rosenergoatom is the Russian nuclear power station operations subsidiary of Atomenergoprom. The company was established on 7 September 1992 in Presidential decree No. 1055: "On operating organization of nuclear power plants in the Russian Federation"...
, the first reactor will supply for the Kaliningrad Oblast needs while the electricity produced by the second reactor will be exported. Lithuania, Poland and Germany are named as potential export markets.
Sergey Boyarkin has said that the shutdown of Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant
Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant
The Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant is a closed two-unit RBMK-1500 nuclear power station in Visaginas, Lithuania. It was named after the nearby city of Ignalina...
combined with Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
plans to scrap coal-fired generation in compliance with environmental regulation means that the Baltic region faces an energy crisis by 2015. He also has said that Kaliningrad Oblast will be isolated from electricity supplies from Russia if the Baltic states de-synchronize themselves from the Russian electricity grid
IPS/UPS
The IPS/UPS is a wide area synchronous transmission grid of some CIS countries with a common mode of operation and centralized supervisory control. It has an installed generation capacity of 300 gigawatts, and produces 1,200 terawatt-hours per year for its 280 million customers...
and join the synchronous grid of Continental Europe (ENTSO-E grid). He as also mentioned technical complications and unreliability of electricity transfer from Smolensk Nuclear Power Plant
Smolensk nuclear power plant
Nuclear power station Smolensk is a nuclear power station in Russia. It is located in the Smolensk region, in Desnogorsk province, approximately 100 km from Smolensk, 120 km from Bryansk and 320 km from Moscow...
, the main supplier of Kaliningrad Oblast, via Belarus and Lithuania.
On the other hand, the project has been seen as a counter-project to the Visaginas nuclear power plant project in Lithuania. Russia has invited Lithuania to participate in the project, instead of building the nuclear power plant in Lithuania.
History
A framework construction agreement was signed between the head of Rosatom Sergei KiriyenkoSergei Kiriyenko
Sergey Vladilenovich Kiriyenko is a Russian politician. He served as the Prime Minister of Russia from 23 March to 23 August 1998 under President Boris Yeltsin...
and Governor of Kaliningrad Oblast Georgy Boos
Georgy Boos
Georgy Valentinovich Boos is a Russian businessman and politician, and was the governor of Kaliningrad Oblast.Boos was born in Moscow into a Crimean German family. His parents were both engineers...
on 16 April 2008. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin signed the order for construction of the 2,300 Megawatt plant in September 2009. Ground preparation works started on 25 February 2010 and the first concrete is scheduled to be laid in April 2011.
Technical features
Kaliningrad Nuclear Power Plant will consist of two VVER-1200/491VVER
The VVER, or WWER, is a series of pressurised water reactors originally developed by the Soviet Union, and now Russia, by OKB Gidropress. Power output ranges from 440 MWe to 1200 MWe with the latest Russian development of the design...
pressurized water reactors in an AES-2006 standard design configuration. The reactors have a capacity of 1150 MWe each and will be supplied by Atomstroyexport
Atomstroyexport
Atomstroyexport is the Russian Federation's nuclear power equipment and service export monopoly. It belongs to Atomenergoprom holding with 49.8% of shares owned by Gazprombank...
.
The first reactor is planned to be operational by 2016 with onsite construction started in 2010, and the second build-out will be from 2012 to 2018. Cost is expected to be around €6 billion and design is to be completed by the end of 2009. Two further reactors could be added in the future depending on economic development in Kaliningrad and in the Baltic region in general.
Project development
The project is developed by Rosatom's subsidiary Inter RAO UESInter RAO UES
Inter RAO UES is a Russian energy company engaged in power generation and electricity trading. It has electricity export and import monopoly in Russia.- History :...
. According to Rosatom, 49% of shares in the project will be offered to European companies. This will be the first Russian nuclear power plant with foreign participation. It is not decided yet which companies will participate in the project. Potential investors named in this context are ČEZ
CEZ Group
CEZ Group is a conglomerate of 96 companies , 72 of them in the Czech Republic. It is involved in the electricity generation, distribution, and trade. CEZ Group operates also in Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Germany, Hungary, Kosovo, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and...
, Enel
Enel
Enel may refer to:*Enel SpA, an Italian electricity company*Enel , a fictional villain in the One Piece manga and anime series*Enel, meaning third in the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, cf. Awakening of the Elves...
, and Iberdrola
Iberdrola
Iberdrola , headquartered in Bilbao, is a private utility with a global footprint and over 150 years of experience...
.
Reactors
The Kalningrad NPP has two firmly planned units:| Unit | Reactor type | Net capacity |
Gross capacity |
Construction started |
Commercial Operation |
Shutdown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltiisk 1 | VVER-1200/491 | 1082 MW | 1170 MW | (01.04.2011) | (2016) | - |
| Baltiisk 2 | VVER-1200/491 | 1082 MW | 1170 MW | (2012) | (2018) | - |