New NPPs in Russia: Rosatom to Increase Borrowing to Finance NPP Construction

The Russian government has approved a general scheme for the location of electricity facilities, including projects for new stations

From 2028-2029, the Rosatom State Corporation will begin to increase borrowing to finance the construction of new nuclear power plants, General Director Alexey Likhachev said at the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF-2025).

Likhachev noted that by the end of the decade, Rosatom will need to attract significant borrowed funds to implement the ambitious NPP construction program. In early 2025, the Russian government approved a general scheme for the location of electricity facilities, including projects for new stations. Among them are the Siberian NPP in the Irkutsk Region (2.51 GW), the Seversk NPP in the Tomsk Region (2.51 GW), the Southern NPP (2.4 GW), the Primorsk NPP (2 GW), the Khabarovsk NPP (1.2 GW), as well as additional power units at the Kursk, Smolensk, Novovoronezh, Leningrad, and Kola NPPs.

Obviously, our path will not be strewn with roses. And there are tasks to be solved in the next decade. First of all, in terms of the cost of borrowed funds, because sometime from 2028-2029 we will have to systematically borrow resources for the construction of nuclear power plants.

Alexey Likhachev, head of Rosatom State Corporation

Particular attention at the EEF-2025 was paid to the Primorsk NPP. According to Likhachev, the site for the station has almost been selected, and preparations for construction will begin in 2026. The commissioning of two VVER-1000 power units with a capacity of 1000 MW each is scheduled for 2033-2035. By the end of 2025, a Primorsky branch of Rosenergoatom Concern will be created to manage the project.

The site has almost been selected, we have to analyze the investment scenario, create all the safety justifications, work with the population and enter the site next year. And by the end of the year, a new legal entity will appear - the Primorsky branch of Rosenergoatom Concern, this is how our nuclear power plant system is arranged.

Alexey Likhachev, head of Rosatom State Corporation

In addition, Rosatom continues to work on a small-capacity NPP project in Yakutia for the energy supply of the Kyuchus gold mining field. Initially, one RITM-200 power unit with a capacity of 55 MW was planned, but the project was reformatted into a two-unit station.

EEF-2025 is taking place in Vladivostok from September 3 to 6. The forum is a platform for discussing economic and investment issues.