The first power unit of the new Kursk NPP-2 with a VVER-TOI reactor has been successfully connected to the country's unified energy system and has reached an initial capacity of 240 MW. At the current stage - the so-called power start-up - the unit's capacity will gradually increase to 35-40% of the nominal value, after which a long period of mastering the design capacity of 1250 MW will begin.
Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev noted that the commissioning of the unit was a symbolic New Year's gift for the country and an important step towards increasing the share of nuclear generation in Russia's energy balance from the current 20% to 25% by 2042. According to him, the first unit of Kursk NPP-2 is the implementation of the latest VVER-TOI project, which features increased capacity, a double increase in the service life of the main equipment, and the use of unique Russian safety systems, including a core melt localization device.
First Deputy Director General of Rosatom for Nuclear Energy, President of the ASE Engineering Company Andrey Petrov emphasized that the new power unit will increase the production of nuclear electricity for the Kursk Region by more than 50% and ensure the stable operation of the Unified Energy System of the Center, increasing its reliability and energy security.
The full commissioning of the unit is scheduled for 2026. In total, it is planned to commission four VVER-TOI power units at Kursk NPP-2, which will replace the outdated RBMK-1000 reactors and increase the total capacity of the station by 20%. The projected annual output of the two-unit part of the NPP will be 19.5 billion kWh.
