Balakovo NPP

Balakovo NPP

Innovation leader in the Russian nuclear power industry

10 km

from the administrative boundary

(Balakovo town)

Balakovo NPP is the acknowledged leader in the Russian nuclear industry by many indicators. At present, the enterprise generates about 30 billion kWh of electricity annually and is the top performer among all nuclear power plants of Russia. The share of Balakovo NPP in the total power generation in the Saratov Region is over 75%. This electricity is supplied to consumers in the Volga region, Central Russia, Ural, and Siberia. The plant has been awarded the title of Russia’s Best NPP 17 times and has become a pilot platform where new advanced fuel for VVER-1000 reactors was used on an industrial scale for the first time.

  • 30627,4mln kWh

    of electric power were generated by the NPP in 2020

  • 4 000mw

    plant installed capacity

Start-up of power units

  • 01

    VVER-1000

    1000 MW

    1985

  • 02

    VVER-1000

    1000 MW

    1987

  • 03

    VVER-1000

    1000 MW

    1988

  • 04

    VVER-1000

    1000 MW

    1993

reactor type

installed capacity

operational

Nuclear power plant configuration

VVER type reactors with the capacity of 1,000 MW are the “heart” of Balakovo NPP

VVER reactor unit

Four power units with VVER-1000 reactors run at Balakovo NPP. The plant was constructed in two stages: Stage 1 – power units No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3, Stage 2 – power unit No. 4. They were commissioned in 1985–1993. Power units No. 5 and No. 6 have been mothballed.

One of the priority activities of Balakovo NPP is the life extension of the power units. In 2015, the plant obtained a license for the life extension of power unit No. 1 for 30 more years, in 2017 – a license for power unit No. 2 for 26 years, in 2018 – a license for power unit No. 3 for further 30 years of operation. This was preceded by a large-scale upgrade of systems and equipment, including safety systems.

VVER is a shell-type water-cooled water-moderated power reactor. Water with boric acid, whose concentration varies during operation, is the coolant and the neutron moderator in this reactor. Low enriched uranium dioxide is used as a fuel in the reactor core.

The VVER is housed in a protective containment structure preventing any external effects or radionuclide release into the environment in case of a hypothetical accident. The process flow scheme of Balakovo NPP power unit includes two circuits.

VVER reactor unit

The primary circuit consists of the reactor, main circulation pumps, steam generators, and the pressurizer. It is intended for heat removal from the reactor and transfer to water in the secondary circuit. The coolant in the primary circuit is high-purity water under a pressure of 160 atm with boric acid dissolved in it, which is a strong neutron absorber.

Water is pumped by the main circulation pumps through the reactor core, where it is heated up to 290-320 degrees due to heat generated as a result of the nuclear reaction. Water in the primary circuit transfers heat to water in the secondary circuit through metal walls of the heat-exchange tubes in the steam generator and returns to the reactor. Radioactive elements contained in water in the primary circuit cannot penetrate the secondary circuit, which is non-radioactive. It consists of a steam-producing part of the steam generators, the main steam pipes, the turbine unit with a regeneration system, the feed water unit, and several auxiliary systems.

VVER

The secondary circuit is designed for steam generation. Steam is supplied to the steam turbine. The turbine, in its turn, turns a magnet rotor. Electric current is produced as a result of electromagnetic induction. As the magnet rotor is turning, electric current occurs in the winding of the surrounding stator. All that is left to do is to deenergize the winding and transmit electric power to external consumers. Spent steam is cooled down in condensers and turns into water, which is then delivered back by the pump into the steam generators.

  • 160atm

    pressure on water in the primary circuit

  • 320°С

    water temperature in the reactor

  • 900tonnes

    total weight of the loaded reactor assembly

Process flow chart of Balakovo NPP

The reactor unit is comprised of four circulation loops, each of which includes a main circulation pump, a steam generator, main circulation circuit pipelines, and a pressurizer.

One or two turbine units are installed at the NPP power units. These include a turbine, a condensing plant, a regeneration system, a separator-superheater apparatus, and pumps.

Nuclear power plant safety systems

The basic principle of safe operation of a nuclear power plant is to prevent an uncontrolled escape of radioactive products. The power units of Balakovo NPP have a high safety performance. Their main safety features include the principle of self-protection of the reactor unit, the use of safety barriers (the defense-in-depth concept), and the multiple redundancy of safety channels.

Defense-in-depth concept

The defense-in-depth concept is applied to compensate for potential human errors or mechanical failures. This concept is based on several levels of protection with a sequence of barriers on the way of discharge of radioactive materials into the environment. This concept involves protection of the barriers through prevention of a damage to the plant or to the barriers. It includes additional measures to protect the population and the environment against any impacts in case of a beyond-design-basis accident.

Safety barriers

  • 1

    The first barrier is a fuel matrix (i.e. a pellet).

  • 2

    The second barrier is fuel cladding.

  • 3

    The third barrier is comprised of fuel channels, pipelines, and the equipment of the repeated forced circulation circuit.

  • 4

    The forth barrier consists of reinforced concrete walls of the buildings housing the equipment of the repeated forced circulation circuit.

Self-protection principle

VVER reactors have a configuration of the reactor core ensuring “self-protection” or “self-regulation” of the reactor. When the reactor power increases and, consequently, the temperature of the reactor core rises, the nuclear reaction dies out due to natural feedback.

In order to stop the chain reaction quickly and efficiently, neutrons involved in this process must be absorbed. An absorber (boron carbide) is used to accomplish this. Rods made of boron carbide are inserted into the reactor core to reduce the neutron flux level or to shut down the reactor completely. Electromagnets are used as the drives for the rods to ensure their sinking into the reactor core. This principle guarantees immersion of the rods even if the power unit is de-energized: the powered down electromagnets will stop holding the absorber rods, which will consequently drop down by gravity.

Another method of stopping the chain fission reaction is to increase the concentration of boric acid in the coolant: where necessary, the boric acid solution is used by numerous emergency systems.

Multiple redundancy of safety channels

The VVER power units employ 4 independent safety system trains, each of which can fulfill functions of the entire system. At the same time, each channel is independent of the others and it can operate autonomously to ensure that the reactor is switched to the subcritical mode.

As Balakovo NPP is also an electricity consumer, each power unit has standby diesel (diesel-generator) power plants (SDPP). The SDPP (with the capacity of 5.6 MW) is intended for power supply to the consumers of the safety system under emergency conditions. The SDPP is fully automated and enables a fast load pickup under emergency conditions. In order to prevent an extremely unlikely severe beyond-design-basis accident, an emergency equipment fleet is maintained at Balakovo NPP in a state of constant preparedness.

Environmental safety

Environmental safety is one of the key objectives Balakovo NPP

  • 24

    permanent radiation monitoring stations

  • 22

    automated radiation monitoring system (ARMS) stations

The unconditional environmental acceptability of the nuclear power plant has been already incorporated in its design, and further operations increasing the environmental safety level are performed on a regular basis.

The environmental condition of the premises of the industrial site, in the buffer area and in the control area of Balakovo NPP is evaluated by the NPP subdivisions as part of industrial environmental control and by supervisory bodies.

  • 24

    permanent radiation monitoring stations

  • 22

    automated radiation monitoring system (ARMS) stations

For the purposes of radiation monitoring, 24 permanent radiation monitoring stations have been set up around Balakovo NPP within a 30 km radius, where parameters of atmospheric air, precipitation, soil and vegetation are measured. The external radiation monitoring laboratory of the nuclear power plant monitors the radiation level in surface water bodies, potable water from artesian wells and municipal heat supply systems.

Simultaneously with the radiation monitoring stations, 22 automated radiation monitoring system (ARMS) stations are currently in operation in the buffer area and in the control area. The information from the ARMS is automatically transmitted to the Emergency Response Center of Rosenergoatom and to the branch ARMS of ROSATOM, and is used to evaluate the actual radiation level in the vicinity of Balakovo NPP.

Balakovo NPP strives to increase the environmental culture level of managers and specialists contractor organizations operating on the premises of the NPP. Over the entire period of operation of Balakovo NPP, no adverse impact on the environment has been observed. The radiation level in the area of Balakovo NPP has not changed and remains at the background level.

Social responsibility

Balakovo NPP is a responsible corporate citizen

The plant pays about 1 billion rubles in taxes on an annual basis, and primarily to the regional and municipal budget. The successful operation of the nuclear power plant enables it to make a strong contribution to addressing the social problems of the Saratov Region, Balakovo municipal district, and Balakovo town.

Balakovo NPP annually implements the charity program worth about 10 million rubles focused on the support of veterans, maternity and childhood, education, health care, and moral and spiritual values.

Under the sponsorship of Balakovo NPP, the modern Child Development Center “Wonderland” has been built in Balakovo town; 4 kindergartens have been renovated and commissioned; a new well-furnished beach complex has been created; Saratovskoye highway, the most important town mains, has been repaired; the town park has been recreated on the bank of the Volga River in the 7th microdistrict which was named “Energetik” (“Power Engineer”), and a new landscape park is being built there.

On the initiative of Rosenergoatom and with direct involvement of Balakovo NPP, a multi-functional sports center has been built on the premises of gymnasium No. 2.

Balakovo NPP has supported schools in establishing three nuclear classes with in-depth study of physics and mathematics. In addition, career guidance projects are being implemented in which schoolchildren and university students are engaged.

Contacts

  • Balakovo Nuclear Power Plant
    Branch of Rosenergoatom JSC

  • Balakovo NPP, Balakovo town,
    Saratov Region 413801