The State Environmental Review Agency has confirmed that Unit 2 can be operated during the 18-month fuel cycle at reactor power of 104% of the rated power. The final statement of the Rosprirodnadzor’s expert review commission was approved on August 31, 2017.
As per the final statement, the uprating of Unit 2 reactor will not affect safety and reliability of the unit operation and the environment.
At the public hearings on the issue that were held this February in Volgodonsk and Dubovskoye Village Rostov Plant Manager Andrey Salnikov noted: “Design characteristics of VVER-1000 reactors at Rostov NPP allow the reactor to operate at power that is higher than rated. It is confirmed by operation of Unit 1 which is operating at 104% power for eighth year. Multiple studies, including diagnostics and monitoring of the equipment, analysis of the environment give exact picture – the unit uprating does not affect its safety and reliability indicators as well as the environmental conditions.”
“Rostov NPP has received the expert review statement earlier than planned, nearly one month in a half. The public hearings and all documentation were carried out and formalized in due time. The license application materials meet the environmental requirements established by Russian law,” Olga Gorskaya, Head of Environmental Protection Department at Rostov NPP, noted.
The next stage which will bring Rostov-2 to the commercial operation at 104% power will be getting a Rostechnadzor’s license.