Stations and projects. Beloyarsk NPP: interesting facts and general information (photo) "Fast Neutrons" block

The oldest American energy magazine POWER, one of the most influential and authoritative international professional publications in this field, awarded its 2016 Power Awards to the project of the 4th power unit of the Russian Beloyarsk NPP (a branch of Rosenergoatom Concern, Zarechny Sverdlovsk Region) with a unique fast neutron reactor BN-800, which will be used to test a number of technologies necessary for the development of nuclear power. It is reported by information Agency RIA News.

Recall that one of the most important events of the year in the nuclear power industry of Russia took place at the Beloyarsk NPP the other day - power unit No. 4 (BN-800) was put into commercial operation on time. This order was signed on October 31, 2016 by the General Director of Rosenergoatom Concern Andrey Petrov on the basis of the permission received from ROSATOM.

As noted on the magazine's website, the BN-800 power unit won the Top Plants nomination. It differs from another nomination for the Plant of the Year award in that the latter assumes the commissioning of a nuclear power plant in commercial operation within one or two years prior to the award. In turn, in the "Best stations" nomination, the most promising and innovative projects, which indicate the vector of development of the entire industry.

When determining the winner, the ability to solve a set of tasks with the help of a nuclear power unit was taken into account, in particular, on the production of energy and disposal of radioactive waste. The jury also noted the special importance of the BN-800 reactor in the implementation of the Russian approach to closing the nuclear fuel cycle.

This is not the first time that Russian nuclear projects have been recognized in the United States. The completed first block of the Iranian nuclear power plant "Bushehr" and block No. 1 of the Indian nuclear power plant "Kudankulam" were previously named projects of 2014 according to another authoritative American magazine Power Engineering. These power units operate Russian thermal reactors VVER-1000.

Great achievement of Russia

“Fast reactors are critical to the implementation of Russia's ambitious nuclear plans. The successful construction, connection to the grid and testing of the country's first BN-800 reactor at the Beloyarsk NPP is a major achievement in the right direction, "

- notes the magazine.

Unit 4 of the Beloyarsk NPP with a fast neutron reactor with a liquid metal coolant sodium BN-800 (from "fast sodium") with an installed electrical capacity of 880 MW was put into commercial operation on Tuesday. It is the world's most powerful operating fast reactor.

Experts called this event historic not only for the Russian, but also for the world atomic energy. Experts emphasize that the experience in the design, construction, start-up and operation of fast neutron power reactors, which Russian nuclear scientists will receive at the BN-800, will be necessary for the development of this area of ​​atomic energy in Russia.

Recognized leadership

Fast reactors are considered to have great advantages for the development of nuclear power, ensuring the closure of the nuclear fuel cycle (NFC). In a closed nuclear fuel cycle, due to the full use of uranium raw materials in fast breeder reactors (breeders), the fuel base of the nuclear power industry will significantly increase, and it will also be possible to significantly reduce the volume of radioactive waste due to the "burning" of hazardous radionuclides. Russia, according to experts, ranks first in the world in technologies for the construction of "fast" reactors.

The Soviet Union was a leader in the construction and operation of industrial-grade "fast" power reactors. The world's first such unit with a BN-350 reactor with an installed electrical capacity of 350 megawatts was launched in 1973 on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea in the city of Shevchenko (now Aktau, Kazakhstan). Part of the thermal power of the reactor was used to generate electricity, the rest went to desalination of seawater. This power unit operated until 1998 - five years longer than the design period. The experience of creating and operating this facility made it possible to understand and solve many problems in the field of BN-type reactors.

Since 1980, the third power unit of the plant has been operating at the Beloyarsk NPP with a BN-600 reactor with an installed electrical capacity of 600 megawatts. This unit not only generates electricity, but also serves as a unique base for testing new structural materials and nuclear fuel.

BN-800 history

In 1983, a decision was made to build in the USSR four atomic units with a BN-800 reactor at once - one unit at the Beloyarsk NPP and three units at the new South Ural NPP. But after Chernobyl, the stagnation of the Soviet atomic energy began, the construction of new, including "fast" reactors stopped. And after the collapse of the USSR, the situation worsened to an even greater extent, there was a threat of loss of domestic nuclear energy technologies, including the technology of BN reactors.

Attempts to resume the construction of at least one BN-800 unit were made several times, but in the middle of the 2000s it became clear that the capabilities of the nuclear industry alone might not be enough. And here the decisive role was played by the support of the country's leadership, which approved new program development of nuclear energy in Russia. It also found a place for the BN-800 at the fourth unit of the Beloyarsk NPP.

Completing the block was not easy. To finalize the project, taking into account the improvements, the purpose of which was to increase its efficiency and safety, it took a real mobilization of the forces of scientific, design and design organizations of the nuclear industry. Equipment manufacturers also faced difficult tasks, which had to not only restore the technologies used to create the equipment of the BN-600 reactor, but also master new technologies.

And yet the power unit was built. In February 2014, loading of nuclear fuel into the BN-800 reactor began. In June of the same year, the reactor was launched. Then it was necessary to modernize the design of the fuel assemblies, and at the end of July 2015 the BN-800 reactor was restarted, the specialists began to gradually increase its power to the level required to start generating electricity. On December 10, 2015, the unit was connected to the grid and delivered its first current to the Russian power system.

The BN-800 unit is to become a prototype of more powerful commercial BN-1200 power units, the decision on the feasibility of construction of which will be made on the basis of the BN-800 operating experience. The BN-1200 head unit is also planned to be built at the Beloyarsk NPP.

The unique Russian fast neutron reactor operating at the Beloyarsk NPP was brought to a capacity of 880 megawatts, the press service of Rosatom reported.

The reactor operates at power unit No. 4 of the Beloyarsk NPP and is currently undergoing scheduled testing of generating equipment. In accordance with the test program, the power unit ensures the maintenance of electrical power at a level of at least 880 megawatts for 8 hours.

The reactor power is raised in stages, in order to eventually obtain certification at the design power level of 885 megawatts based on the test results. At the moment, the reactor is certified for a capacity of 874 megawatts.

It should be reminded that two fast reactors operate at the Beloyarsk NPP. The BN-600 reactor has been operating here since 1980 - long time it was the only reactor of this type in the world. But in 2015, a phased launch of the second BN-800 reactor began.

Why is this so important and considered a historic event for the global nuclear industry?

Fast reactors make it possible to implement a closed fuel cycle (it has not been implemented in BN-600 at present). Since only uranium-238 is “burned”, after reprocessing (extraction of fission products and adding new portions of uranium-238), the fuel can be reloaded into the reactor. And since more plutonium is produced than decayed in the uranium-plutonium cycle, the excess fuel can be used for new reactors.

Moreover, this method can be used to process surplus weapons-grade plutonium, as well as plutonium and minor actinides (neptunium, americium, curium) recovered from the spent fuel of conventional thermal reactors (minor actinides are currently a very dangerous part of radioactive waste). At the same time, the amount of radioactive waste in comparison with thermal reactors is reduced by more than twenty times.

Why, with all their advantages, fast neutron reactors have not become widespread? This is primarily due to the peculiarities of their design. As mentioned above, water cannot be used as a coolant, since it is a neutron moderator. Therefore, in fast reactors, metals are mainly used in liquid state- from exotic lead-bismuth alloys to liquid sodium (the most common option for nuclear power plants).

“In fast reactors, thermal and radiation loads are much higher than in thermal reactors,” explains PM Chief Engineer Beloyarsk NPP Mikhail Bakanov. - This leads to the need to use special structural materials for the reactor pressure vessel and in-reactor systems. The bodies of TVEL and fuel assemblies are made not of zirconium alloys, as in thermal reactors, but of special alloyed chromium steels, which are less susceptible to radiation ‘swelling’. On the other hand, for example, the reactor pressure vessel is not subject to internal pressure loads - it is only slightly higher than atmospheric pressure ”.

According to Mikhail Bakanov, in the first years of operation, the main difficulties were associated with radiation swelling and cracking of the fuel. These problems, however, were soon resolved, new materials were developed - both for fuel and for fuel rod casings. But even now the campaigns are limited not so much by the fuel burnup (which reaches 11% on the BN-600), but by the resource of materials from which the fuel, fuel rods and fuel assemblies are made. Further problems operations were mainly associated with leaks of sodium in the secondary circuit, a chemically active and fire hazardous metal that violently reacts to contact with air and water: “Only Russia and France have a long experience in operating industrial fast-neutron power reactors. Both we and French specialists faced the same problems from the very beginning. We have successfully solved them, from the very beginning providing for special means of monitoring the tightness of the circuits, localization and suppression of sodium leaks. And the French project turned out to be less prepared for such troubles, as a result, in 2009 the Phenix reactor was finally shut down. "

“The problems were really the same,” adds Nikolay Oshkanov, director of the Beloyarsk NPP, “but they were solved here and in France. different ways... For example, when the head of one of the assemblies was bent on the Phenix to grab and unload it, French specialists developed a complex and rather expensive system of 'vision' through the sodium layer. And when we had the same problem, one of our engineers suggested using a video camera placed in the simplest design such as a diving bell, - an open pipe from the bottom with argon blowing from above. When the sodium melt was displaced, the operators were able to grip the machine via video link and the bent assembly was successfully retrieved. ”

The active zone of a fast neutron reactor is arranged like an onion, in layers

370 fuel assemblies form three zones with different enrichment in uranium-235 - 17, 21 and 26% (initially there were only two zones, but in order to equalize the energy release, three were made). They are surrounded by side screens (blankets), or breeding zones, where assemblies containing depleted or natural uranium, consisting mainly of the 238 isotope, are located. reproduction).

Fuel assemblies (FA) are a set of fuel elements (fuel rods) assembled in one housing - tubes made of special steel filled with uranium oxide pellets with different enrichment. So that the fuel rods do not come into contact with each other, and a coolant can circulate between them, a thin wire is wound on the tubes. Sodium enters the fuel assembly through the lower throttling holes and exits through the windows in the upper part.

In the lower part of the fuel assembly there is a shank inserted into the socket of the collector, in the upper part there is a head part, by which the assembly is gripped during overloading. Fuel assemblies of different enrichment have different seats, so it is simply not possible to install the assembly in the wrong place.

To control the reactor, 19 compensating rods are used containing boron (neutron absorber) to compensate for fuel burnup, 2 automatic control rods (to maintain a given power), and 6 active protection rods. Since the intrinsic neutron background of uranium is small, a "backlight" is used for the controlled launch of the reactor (and control at low power levels) - a photoneutron source (gamma emitter plus beryllium).

Power units with fast neutron reactors can significantly expand the fuel base of nuclear power and minimize radioactive waste by organizing a closed nuclear fuel cycle. Only a few countries have such technologies, and the Russian Federation, according to experts, is the world leader in this area.

The BN-800 reactor (from "fast sodium", with an electric power of 880 megawatts) is an experimental-industrial fast neutron reactor with a liquid metal coolant, sodium. It should become a prototype for commercial, more powerful power units with BN-1200 reactors.

sources

The newest power unit No. 4 of the Beloyarsk NPP with a fast neutron reactor BN-800 was put into commercial operation on time.

This is one of the most important events of the year in the Russian nuclear power industry, according to the press service of the Beloyarsk nuclear power plant.

This order was signed on October 31, 2016. general director Rosenergoatom Concern Andrey Petrov on the basis of the permission received from the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom. Prior to this, the regulatory body Rostekhnadzor carried out all the necessary checks and issued an opinion on the compliance of the commissioned facility project documentation, technical regulations and regulatory legal acts, including energy efficiency requirements.

Power unit No. 4 of the Beloyarsk NPP with the BN-800 reactor was for the first time included in the unified power system of the country and began generating electricity on December 10, 2015. During 2016, there was a gradual development of capacity at the stages of power start-up, and then at the stages of pilot operation, inspections and tests of equipment and systems were carried out at various power levels and in various operating modes.

The tests were completed in August 2016 with a 15-day comprehensive testing at 100% power level, during which the power unit confirmed that it is able to sustainably carry the load at rated power in accordance with the design parameters, without deviations.

By the time it was put into commercial operation from the moment it was connected to the power system, the fourth power unit of the Beloyarsk nuclear power plant had generated more than 2.8 billion kWh.

It should become a prototype of more powerful commercial power units BN-1200, the decision on the feasibility of construction of which will be made on the basis of the BN-800 operating experience. It will also work out a number of technologies for closing the nuclear fuel cycle, which are necessary for the development of the nuclear power industry of the future.

Russia, according to experts, ranks first in the world in technologies for the construction of "fast" reactors.

Thus, there is one more nuclear power unit in operation in Russia. Now, a total of 35 power units are in operation at 10 nuclear power plants (excluding power unit No. 6 of NVNPP, which is at the stage of pilot operation), the total installed capacity of all power units is 27.127 GW.

Beloyarsk NPP (BNPP) put into operation in April 1964. This is the first nuclear power plant in the country's nuclear power industry, and the only one with reactors different types on one site. The first power units of the Beloyarsk nuclear power plant with thermal reactors AMB-100 and AMB-200 were shut down due to the depletion of their resource. The world's only power unit with a fast neutron reactor of an industrial power level BN-600 is in operation. , as well as BN-800, put into commercial operation in October 2016. Power units of nuclear power plants using fast neutrons are designed to significantly expand the fuel base of nuclear power and minimize radioactive waste by organizing a closed nuclear fuel cycle.

- one of the most influential and authoritative international professional publications in this field - awarded its Power Awards for 2016 to the project of the fourth power unit of the Russian Beloyarsk NPP with a unique fast neutron reactor BN-800, which will be used to test a number of technologies necessary for the development of nuclear power ...

This is not the first time that Russian nuclear projects have been recognized in the United States. The completed first block of the Iranian nuclear power plant "Bushehr" and the first block of the Indian nuclear power plant "Kudankulam" were previously named projects of 2014 according to another authoritative American magazine Power Engineering. These power units operate Russian thermal reactors VVER-1000.

Great achievement of Russia

"Fast breeder reactors are essential for the implementation of Russia's ambitious nuclear energy plans. The successful construction, networking and testing of the country's first BN-800 reactor at the Beloyarsk NPP is a major achievement in the right direction," the magazine notes.

Unit 4 of the Beloyarsk NPP with a fast reactor with a liquid metal coolant sodium BN-800 (from "fast sodium") with an installed electrical capacity of 880 MW was put into commercial operation on Monday. It is the world's most powerful operating fast reactor.

Experts called this event historic not only for the Russian, but also for the world atomic energy. Experts emphasize that the experience in the design, construction, start-up and operation of fast neutron power reactors, which Russian nuclear scientists will receive at the BN-800, will be necessary for the development of this area of ​​nuclear energy in Russia.

Recognized leadership

Fast reactors are considered to have great advantages for the development of nuclear power, ensuring the closure of the nuclear fuel cycle (NFC). In a closed nuclear fuel cycle, due to the full use of uranium raw materials in fast breeder reactors (breeders), the fuel base of nuclear power will significantly increase, and it will also be possible to significantly reduce the volume of radioactive waste due to the burning of hazardous radionuclides. Russia, according to experts, ranks first in the world in technologies for the construction of "fast" reactors.

The Soviet Union was a leader in the construction and operation of industrial-grade "fast" power reactors. The world's first such unit with a BN-350 reactor with an installed electrical capacity of 350 megawatts was launched in 1973 on the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea in the city of Shevchenko (now Aktau, Kazakhstan). Part of the thermal power of the reactor was used to generate electricity, the rest went to desalination of seawater. This power unit operated until 1998 - five years longer than the design period. The experience of creating and operating this facility made it possible to understand and solve many problems in the field of BN-type reactors.

Since 1980, the third power unit of the plant has been operating at the Beloyarsk NPP with a BN-600 reactor with an installed electrical capacity of 600 megawatts. This unit not only generates electricity, but also serves as a unique base for testing new structural materials and nuclear fuel.

BN-800 history

In 1983, it was decided to build four nuclear power units with a BN-800 reactor in the USSR at once: one at the Beloyarsk NPP and three at the new South Ural NPP. But after Chernobyl, the stagnation of the Soviet atomic energy began, the construction of new, including "fast" reactors, stopped. And after the collapse of the USSR, the situation worsened even more, there was a threat of loss of domestic nuclear energy technologies, including the technology of BN reactors.

Attempts to resume the construction of at least one BN-800 unit were made several times, but in the mid-2000s it became clear that the capabilities of the nuclear industry alone might not be enough. And here the decisive role was played by the support from the Russian leadership, which approved a new program for the development of nuclear energy. It also found a place for the BN-800 at the fourth unit of the Beloyarsk NPP.

Completing the block was not easy. To finalize the project, taking into account the improvements, the purpose of which was to increase its efficiency and safety, it took a real mobilization of the forces of scientific, design and design organizations of the nuclear industry. Challenging tasks also stood before the equipment manufacturers, which had to not only restore the technologies by which the equipment of the BN-600 reactor was created, but also master new technologies.

And yet the power unit was built. In February 2014, loading of nuclear fuel into the BN-800 reactor began. In June of the same year, the reactor was launched. Then it was necessary to modernize the design of the fuel assemblies, and at the end of July 2015 the BN-800 reactor was restarted, the specialists began to gradually increase its power to the level required to start generating electricity. On December 10, 2015, the unit was connected to the grid and delivered its first current to the Russian power system.

The BN-800 unit is to become a prototype of more powerful commercial power units BN-1200, the decision on the feasibility of construction of which will be made on the basis of the BN-800 operating experience. The BN-1200 head unit is also planned to be built at the Beloyarsk NPP.

news

1 April 2020
Beloyarsk NPP received a license to operate BN-600 for another five years
The license to operate a power unit with a BN-600 reactor at the Beloyarsk NPP was extended until 2025.

28 March 2020
The head of Zarechny and the director of the Beloyarsk NPP address the residents on the situation with the coronavirus
Head of the city of Zarechny Sverdlovsk region Andrey Zakhartsev and director of the Beloyarsk NPP Ivan Sidorov recorded a video message in connection with a case of coronavirus infection detected in the territory.

BELOYARSK NPP

Location: near the town of Zarechny (Sverdlovsk region)
Reactor type: AMB, BN-600, BN-800
Number of power units: 4 (in operation - 2)

Beloyarsk NPP named after IV Kurchatova is the firstborn of the large nuclear power industry in the USSR. Beloyarsk NPP is the only nuclear power plant in Russia with power units of various types.

The volume of electricity generated by the Beloyarsk NPP is about 16% of the total electricity volume of the Sverdlovsk energy system.

The plant was built in three stages: the first stage - power units No. 1 and No. 2 with the AMB reactor, the second stage - power unit No. 3 with the BN-600 reactor, the third stage - power unit No. 4 with the BN-800 reactor.

After 17 and 22 years of operation, power units No. 1 and No. 2 were shut down in 1981 and 1989, respectively, now they are in a long-term conservation mode with fuel unloaded from the reactor and correspond, in terminology international standards, 1st stage of NPP decommissioning.

At present, the Beloyarsk NPP operates two power units - BN-600 and BN-800. These are the world's largest fast breeder reactors. In terms of reliability and safety, the "fast" reactor ranks among the best nuclear reactors the world.

The possibility of further expansion of the Beloyarsk NPP by power unit No. 5 with a fast reactor with a capacity of 1200 MW - the main commercial power unit for serial construction is being considered.

According to the results of the annual competition of the Beloyarsk NPP in 1994, 1995, 1997 and 2001. was awarded the title "Best NPP in Russia".

Distance to the satellite town (Zarechny) - 3 km; to the regional center (Yekaterinburg) - 45 km.

OPERATING POWER UNITS OF THE BELOYARSK NPP