Leningrad NPP Extends Service Life of Power Unit No. 4 Until 2030

The Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant has officially received licenses confirming the possibility of extending the operation of the fourth power unit until 2030, as well as authorizing the production of industrial and medical isotopes on its base. This was reported by the station's press service.

Expert assessments from design and research organizations have confirmed the technical feasibility of extending the service life of the RBMK-1000 reactor to 50 years. Since its commissioning in 1981, power unit No. 4 has generated approximately 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, providing a stable power supply to the northwestern region of Russia.

Extending the operation will not only maintain the achieved level of reliability of the power system but also open up new opportunities for high-tech production. RBMK-1000 type reactors allow for the simultaneous generation of electricity and heat, as well as the radiation processing of materials and the production of valuable isotopes—both for general industrial and medical purposes.

According to the station, the isotopes obtained are used in various industries: from the food industry and medicine to solving environmental problems, such as waste disinfection or sterilization of medical devices.

RBMK-1000 is the index of a high-power channel-type reactor (RBMK). It is a heterogeneous reactor using thermal neutrons, in which graphite is used as a moderator. The coolant is water, and the fuel is uranium dioxide.

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