The commission of the Federal Service for Ecological, Technological and Nuclear Supervision (Rostekhnadzor) has issued a license to operate the 6th VVER-1200 power unit of the Leningrad NPP.

The license covers the upload of nuclear fuel (the physical startup) and further power unit operation. Prior to that, in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation, Rostekhnadzor has verified the completeness of the technological systems and equipment, the power unit’s staff, the operational documentation for the ‘physical start-up’ stage.

‘The Rostekhnadzor license verifies that all construction, assembly and pre-commissioning works, all technological and safety systems testing have been fully and duly completed. The staff of almost two hundred team members for six operating shifts have received all the necessary approvals and accesses and have started working on all life cycle processes at the new facility’, Vladimir Pereguda, the director of the Leningrad NPP, said.

The operational launch of the 6th VVER-1200 power unit will be conducted in stages and will start with the physical launch when fresh fuel assemblies are uploaded into the reactor vessel. This key operation is scheduled to start soon.

At the next stages, during the power startup, the pilot production and the complex testing of the power unit, all systems will undergo the final test. The introduction of the sixth Leningrad NPP VVER-1200 power unit into commercial operation is planned for 2021. The new power unit will replace its ‘elder brother’, the 2nd RBMK-1000 reactor that has worked in an efficient and accident-free manner for 45 years.