The first large-sized component – a melt trap – has been installed at the construction site of power unit No. 4 of the Leningrad NPP-2. This is a steel structure weighing 157 tons. The operation was completed in one shift – 8 hours – and three months ahead of schedule.
The melt trap is a unique development by Russian nuclear scientists and one of the most important safety systems of a nuclear power plant. It is designed to manage beyond-design-basis accidents: it receives, accommodates, and cools the melt of core materials, in-vessel devices, and the reactor vessel until complete crystallization.
Leningrad NPP-2 is a replacement station. It is being built to replace the decommissioned old power units of the Leningrad NPP (with RBMK-1000 reactors).
Leningrad NPP-2 uses modern VVER-1200 generation III+ reactors, which meet the strictest international safety requirements.
Leningrad NPP is the first station in the country with RBMK-1000 reactors; its first power unit was launched back in 1973. Now, the old capacities are being gradually replaced by new units of Leningrad NPP-2. The first power unit of Leningrad NPP-2 was commissioned in 2018, the second in 2021. The third and fourth are under construction. Each VVER-1200 power unit has a capacity of 1200 MW and is designed for decades of operation.