Russia plans to build a new nuclear station and two new reactor designs by 2000, according to Georgy Kaurov, spokesman for the Atomic Energy Ministry. This is part of a more detailed development plan to 2010 announced by Rosenergoatom.
The first stage, up to 2000, includes completing half-built reactors at Kalinin (unit 3), Kursk (unit 5), and Rostov (unit 1). Stage two, up to 2005, will see the commissioning of unit 2 at Rostov, unit 1 at a new plant in Sosnovyy Bor, unit 6 Novovoronezh, and two heat-only units at Voronezh. In addition, Russia will commission its first floating nuclear plant to be based at Pevek in Chukotka.
By 2010, the first BN-800 fast breeder unit will be built in the southern Urals as well as unit 7 at Novovoronezh, units 5 and 6 at Kola and unit 5 at Leningrad. There may also be a further unit at Kursk and a second floating nuclear plant for the far east. Rosenergoatom also plans to extend by 5-10 years the service life of some first-generation units reaching the end of their working life in 2003.
However, nine units will be decommissioned by 2010, including the four at Bilibino, the oldest unit at Leningrad and the two oldest units at Kola and Novovoronezh. Funding will come mainly from the industry’s internal resources, according to Rosenergoatom’s director-general Yevgeny Ignatenko.
