Beloyarsk Nuclear Power Station

Infobox NPP
Picture = Beloyarsk NNP.jpg
Pic_des = The Beloyarsk Nuclear Power Plant
Country = Russia
Utility = Rosenergoatom
Built = 1958
Start = April 26, 1964
End =
Reactor = 1
Reactor_MW = 600
S_Reactor = 2
S_Reactor_MW = 868
P_Reactor = 1
El_Prod = 3845
for_year = 2006
El_Prod_avg = 3809
Net_Prod = 115,131
WEBSITE =
as_of = July 22, 2007The Beloyarsk Nuclear Power Station ( _ru. Белоярская атомная электростанция им. И. В. Курчатова) is the second of the then Soviet Union’s nuclear plants. It is situated by the town Zarechny, in the Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia. (Actually, Zarechny was created to service the station, and the station was named after the Beloyarsky District, Sverdlovsk Oblast) The closest larger city is Yekaterinburg. The power plant was the first to put graphite-moderated reactors in operation, to produce electrical power.

The reactor-core is 1.03 metres tall and has a diameter of 2.05 meter. It has 369 fuel-assemblies, which each consist of 127 fuel-pins with an enrichment of 17-26% 235U. In comparison, the normal enrichment in other Russian reactors is between 3-4% 235U. The BN-600 reactors use liquid sodium as coolant. There are three turbines connected to the reactor.

Two earlier reactors at Beloyarsk included an AMB-100 reactor (operational 1964-1983) and an AMB-200 reactor (operational 1967-1989).

One of the reactors operational today at Beloyarsk Power Plant is a BN-600 fast breeder reactor, which generates 600 MW. It is the world’s largest power-generating unit with a fast neutron reactor. As with most Russian Nuclear Power Plants, this stations lacks a containment building.

Between 1987 and 1988, when protests halted progress, a BN-800 reactor, a larger fast breeder, was under construction at the site. Construction resumed in 1992 following an order by President Boris Yeltsin, but financial difficulties have resulted in slow progress. Construction costs has been estimated to 1 trillion rubles. The lifetime of the BN-600 ends in 2010. The new reactor can be finished only in 2012–2015 with the current scarce financing. So, the lifetime of the BN-600 is likely to be extended; The reactor has only been operating for 28 years so far.

Accidents

The two gravest incidents at Beloyarsk Nuclear Power Plant struck the two oldest reactors, which now are shut down. In 1977 half of the heat-elements melted down in reactor ABM-200. The operators were exposed to severe radiation doses and the repair-work proceeded more than a year. In December 1978 the same reactor caught fire when parts of the roof fell down on one of the turbines oil tank. Control-cables were destroyed by fire, and the reactor came out of control. Eight people, whom assisted to secure the cooling of the reactor-core, were exposed to increased radiation doses.

In the recent years there has been problems with a leakage of liquid metal, from the BN-600s cooling system. In December 1992 there was a leakage of radioactive contaminated water at the reactor. In October 1993 it was uncovered increased concentrations of radioactivity in the power plants fan-system. A leakage the following month led to the shut down of this reactor.

In January and May 1994 there was a fire at the power plant. In July 1995 another leakage of liquid metal from the cooling-elements, caused a two-week shut down of the reactor.

There is an increasing concern about radioactive contamination around the power plant. There has been discovered several hotspots in the region that now is monitored.

ee also

* Nuclear power in Russia

ources

* [http://www.bellona.no/bellona.org/english_import_area/international/russia/npps/beloyarsk/19273 Second breeder reactor to be built at Beloyarsk NPP]

External links

* [http://insp.pnl.gov/-profiles-beloyarsk-be.htm Beloyarsk NPP] , INSP programme