Russia to build 11 new nuclear plants

Russia's nuclear power giant Rosatom, which over the last few years has been primarily engaged in the construction of nuclear power plants abroad in recent years, is now focusing its attention back on to  the Russian market. The company has announced plans to construct 11 new nuclear power plants in Russia. Furthermore, this number does not include the replacement of several existing nuclear power plants.
So what is the rationale for the construction of new nuclear power plants in Russia, and how can they contribute to global nuclear power innovation?
It is anticipated that approximately 11 new nuclear power plants will be constructed in Russia by 2042. This proposal is set out in the general plan for the development of Rusian's electric power genration facilities.

The construction of new nuclear power plants are planned for the Rostov, Sverdlovsk, Chelyabinsk, Tomsk regions, as well as the Primorsky, Krasnoyarsk and Khabarovsk territories, the Chukotka Autonomous Region and Yakutia. Two nuclear power plants are also to be constructed in Chukotka and Krasnoyarsk Krai.

In addition to the 11 new NPPs, the project also includes plans to replace the capacity of some of the existing nuclear power plants. These are the  Kola NPP-1, Kursk NPP-2 and Smolensk NPP-2 are scheduled for commissioning.
The objective is to implement the order of the Russian president and achieve a nuclear energy's  share electricity generation of 25% by 2045. The new general scheme provides for the construction of 28 gigawatts of new nuclear power generation by 2042.

"By implementing this ambitious task, we will be able to provide the country's regions with clean energy for decades to come and create a basis for confident economic growth," saidAndrei Likhachev the general director of Rosatom.
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Rosatom has previously been the subject of criticism for promoting its projects mainly abroad, in countries including Turkey, China, Bangladesh, India, Egypt and Belarus.
Some of these projects have been the subject of debate due to their questionable economic viability, with examples in Belarus and Turkey. In Russia, there has been a notable absence of new nuclear projects in recent years. Subsequently, Rosatom announced plans to construct 11 new nuclear power plants.
This appears to signal a shift in focus towards the domestic market. "This will have a positive effect on the company's image," stated Igor Yushkov, an analyst at the National Energy Security Fund and the Russian Financial University

Conversely, the company is facing criticism for the potential impact of its expansion in Russia. The construction of additional nuclear power plants could lead to increased lobbying for tariff hikes, given the high costs associated with these projects. This could result in the creation of new capacities, prompting tariff increases.
"It is therefore important to consider not only the construction of new nuclear power plants, but also the economic viability of new projects and the optimal location for their deployment. This will ensure that the most cost-effective option is selected, whether that be a nuclear power plant or a conventional thermal power plant utilising coal or gas," the FNEB expert believes.

In terms of demand, we anticipate a growth of 1-2% per year. Such growth will be driven by industrial expansion and rising living standards, which are driving up electricity consumption. This highlights the need for additional generating capacities, according to Alexey Anpilogov, an expert in nuclear energy and president of the Foundation for the Support of Scientific Research  "Osnovanie". Furthermore, the increasing prevalence of electronic devices and the rising use of air conditioning during the summer months are contributing to an overall rise in energy consumption. Additionally, the need for power plant refurbishment after 45 years of operation is another factor to consider.
The south is experiencing a deficit in electric power, due to the sustained growth in demand. "There are also population movements. One of the fastest-growing regions is the Southern Federal District. "People are relocating to live in Stavropol, Krasnodar Krai, Crimea and the Rostov Oblast, where population growth is significant," states Anpilogov. During the summer season, tourists also have higher expectations in terms of comfort, air conditioning and the availability of amusement parks with illumination.
"In Crimea, the decision was taken to forego the construction of a nuclear power plant due to the region's seismic risks. Instead, the plan is to establish an energy bridge from Kuban and develop a nuclear power plant in Rostov, thereby creating additional capacity," the expert explained.
"The growth of Moscow and the Moscow region also necessitates the establishment of supplementary capacities. "The Smolensk and Kursk regions are well-suited for the location of nuclear power generation facilities," – Anpilogov explains.

The growth in electricity consumption is driven by an increase in industrial output, particularly in manufacturing and the military sector. The growth of the military-industrial complex has been a key driver of the Russian economy in recent years, and this growth is expected to continue even after the armed conflict in Ukraine has come to an end.
The military-industrial complex will continue to operate in order to replenish reserves and for export. This is because Russia has the opportunity to modernise its army and provide weapons that have been tested in modern combat operations for export. The demand for weapons has a significant impact on the metals and other industries that require substantial energy resources. "Consequently, new nuclear power plants will be constructed in industrial regions of the country that consume a significant amount of energy, such as the Chelyabinsk region," states Yushkov.
The population of Yakutia and Chukotka is relatively small and energy consumption is low. However, there are a number of large industrial facilities in the region, and low-power nuclear power plants are planned to serve these facilities. The Baim floating nuclear power plant is to be constructed to operate the Baimsky GOK (a gold and copper mining and processing plant) in Chukotka.

So which reactors will be constructed and installed in the new nuclear power plants.

This project will be the first to install VVER-TOI reactors at the Kursk NPP, which will replace the third-generation VVER-1200 reactors. VVER-TOI is already a third-generation, transitionary fourth-generation reactor, still in the experimental phase. "The VVER-TOI not only has greater capacity, but is also more technologically advanced, safer and more efficient in terms of efficiency," states Anpilogov.

In remote regions where consumption is lower and it is more profitable to install reactors of lower capacity, VVER-S reactors will be used. The first tests of these reactors will be conducted at the Kola NPP.

The third type of reactor is the BN-1200. This is a fast neutron reactor. The reactor utilises spent nuclear fuel as fuel, namely plutonium obtained from conventional reactors. A mixture of this plutonium with uranium produces MOX fuel for the BN-1200, according to Anpilogov.
Following the construction of the new VVER-TOI and VVER-S reactors at the Kursk and Kola stations, Rosatom is likely to present them to the international market. Smaller reactors could be offered to island or smaller states, for example. "First, the company will showcase its reference nuclear power plants with new reactors in Russia, where it will demonstrate the full range of their advantages and features. Only then will they be made available for export. As an example, the third-generation VVER-1200 was tested at the Novovoronezh NPP, according to Anpilogov.

Given Rosatom's position as a global leader in the nuclear industry, it is logical to pursue the development of almost carbon-free energy. Russia has a distinctive advantage in the energy sector. During the Soviet era, a robust energy infrastructure was established through the use of nuclear power plants and hydroelectric power plants, which do not emit carbon dioxide. Both of these types of energy plants have a significant advantage over solar and wind power plants in that they operate continuously, allowing for the regulation of output power and the smoothing out of consumption peaks. Furthermore, there is no requirement for battery stations to store energy, the production of which is highly energy-intensive, not so much due to its complexity, but because of the necessity for processing and disposal. Nuclear power plants provide a reliable source of energy for one of the most energy-intensive industries, namely metallurgy. This is according to Pavel Sevostyanov, Acting State Counselor of the Russian Federation and Associate Professor of Political Analysis  at the Russian University of Economics.

Germany, which ceased nuclear energy production in response to pressure from climate activists, is now purchasing energy from France because of its deficit in power generation, France which retains its position as the global leader in energy generation, accounting for over 70% of the total, according to Sevo