Tatar NPP, Republic of Tatarstan: description, history and interesting facts

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

The exploding Chernobyl nuclear power plant caused not only environmental damage. The catastrophe of the "peaceful atom" entailed a revision of the concept of the safety of the operation of stations, the closure of facilities of this type under construction and the refusal to build new nuclear power plants for many years. The orthodox decision was made under the pressure of circumstances and the public. The further development of events demonstrated that it is impossible to do without nuclear energy on a national scale. Disasters are caused by negligence, neglect of safety precautions and risky experiments that cannot be controlled.

Tatar Nuclear Power Plant – construction history

In connection with the active construction of large industrial facilities in Tatarstan, such as Nizhnekamsk Chemical Plant, the automobile giant KamAZ, Nizhnekamenskshina, since 1978 the government has been discussing the issue of increasing the energy supply of the region. At that time, nuclear power plants were being built everywhere, so it was decided to build a nuclear power plant fifty kilometers from Nizhnekamsk, where the village of Kamsky used to be. Glades.

The Tatar NPP project was developed by the Atomteploelektroprokt branch in Riga, Kamgesenergostroy acted as the general contractor. For construction, a standard project was proposed, according to which Balakovo NPP, Chernobyl NPP and Khmelnitskaya and Volgodonskaya stations that had not been brought to design indicators, as well as the unfinished Crimean and Bashkir NPPs, had already been built and operated.

Construction began in 1980, the planned launch of the first power unit was to take place in 1992, the rest of the power plants were planned to be used as soon as they were ready. The main work was carried out in 1988, capital investments amounted to 288 million rubles, the cost of construction and installation work was estimated at 96 million rubles. According to the project, the Tatar nuclear power plant was supposed to have a capacity of 4000 MW, which was generated by four reactors.

It is interesting that stories about the power of the unfinished station are constantly being circulated in the press. According to rumors, it was planned to install 12 reactors on it. For comparison: the most powerful Zaporozhye NPP in Europe is equipped with only 6 reactors and its capacity is 6000 MW.

Preservation

In 1990, construction was completely stopped. At that time, the Tatar NPP was preparing for the last stage of work. It was planned to complete the construction of the reactor compartments, machine rooms of the first two power units, the foundation slab of the reactor compartment of the third power unit was laid, and foundation pits were prepared for the third and fourth power plants.

According to the then planned construction, this stage meant the final phase of the construction of the Tatar nuclear power plant. Construction has been completely h alted. In addition to the station itself, a town for power engineers was ready - Kamskiye Polyany, administrative buildings, a start-up boiler house, an embankment of the reservoir was created, auxiliary services were built. Preparations were underway for the delivery of nuclear fuel, and at this stage the facility was mothballed. Since the fuel was not delivered, the complex itself does not pose a radiation hazard.

Tatar nuclear power plant is not the only monument to the "peaceful atom", around fifteen nuclear power plants at various stages of construction were frozen throughout the former Soviet Union in the same period.

Reason for closing

On April 17, 1990, the decree of the government of the TASSR "On the termination of the construction of industrial facilities of the Tatar Nuclear Power Plant" was issued. The reasons for stopping the construction were reported that the station is located in the zone of the Kama fault, which is characterized by tectonic activity. This statement was soon confirmed by a significant earthquake in Zakamye.

But many believe that the main reason that the construction of the Tatar nuclear power plant was stopped is the disaster at the Chernobyl plant that occurred in 1986. Social movements have played a significant role in this issue. Even constantly warring organizations rallied against the launch of a nuclear facility. Even then it was clear that the unfinished construction would lay a stone on the budget, in connection with which the managementRepublic tried to find another use for the object.

There were ideas, plans and even projects for converting a nuclear power plant into a hydroelectric power plant that would use natural energy sources. The project remained at the stage of coordination, other problems began in the USSR - a change in the economic and political system.

With a past without a future

Abandoned infrastructure facilities and the Tatar nuclear power plant itself are an expense item of the republican budget, but the town has become a bigger problem. Kamskiye Polyany, where the builders and future employees of the failed station lived. People needed jobs. Many projects were made. One of them suggested creating a gambling zone on the basis of the village, but the idea went to waste due to the introduction of a moratorium. The next proposal was no less tempting: create a space for extreme sports, conduct quests on the territory of the nuclear power plant, use the station premises for tourism purposes.

The number of projects and proposals did not solve the main problem - the shortage of energy resources persisted, so the leadership of the republic regularly resumed discussions on the resuscitation of the construction of such a facility as the Tatar Nuclear Power Plant (Republic of Tatarstan). Attempts were made in 2003, 2005, but environmental organizations invariably vetoed the proposals.

Wasting Depression

Some mothballed nuclear power plants (Kostroma, Bashkir) remained on the company's balance sheet after the collapse of the USSR"Rosenergoatom", the Tatar nuclear power plant was transferred to the republican balance of Tatarstan. And if the concern allocates funds for its mothballed facilities in order to preserve material assets as much as possible and be able to resume construction at any time, then in Tatarstan they did not see such a need. As a result, the nuclear power plant is being taken away by lovers of gratuitous building materials, non-ferrous metals help to establish “business” for marauders.

Most of the population of the village works outside of it, many have left for Nizhnekamsk, Kazan. Someone remained in the cage of professionals and went to the northern construction sites. The entire territory of the former nuclear power plant and the adjacent built-up area resembles a ghost town or the Zone from the novel by the Strugatsky brothers, from where the legacy of the USSR is thrown into the world.

To be or not to be

In November 2013, the order of the Russian government on regional planning for the development of the energy complex was published, where the main emphasis is on the construction of new nuclear power plants and hydroelectric power plants. The plan has been drawn up until 2030, the beginning of its implementation is already visible in many regions of the country. The Tatar NPP is also mentioned in the document as a facility that is in the top priorities for the resumption of construction.

According to the announced plans, life will return to Kamskiye Polyany when the Tatar nuclear power plant is reanimated. The resumption of construction began with clearing the area and should be completed in 2030, when the station will operate at full capacity. The first power unit is planned to be launched in2026.

But, the question of the location of the station still causes more concern than positive sentiment. The tectonically active Kama fault has not disappeared, the consequences of the destruction of the nuclear power plant are known and “tested” empirically, no one wants to allow another catastrophe. Civic activists and public opinion are in favor of canceling construction. To give a final answer to the question: where the Tatar nuclear power plant will be built, no one undertakes with complete certainty. Kamskiye Polyany is an ideal option, but no one can discount the natural factors and the opinion of people living in the region.

The opinion of nuclear scientists

Passion around the construction is running high, but scientists involved in radioecology argue that after Chernobyl and Fukushima technologies have been improved, the level of safety allows you to install nuclear reactors anywhere and not get the slightest leak. Nuclear energy is the safest technology today. It is believed that thermal power plants and hydroelectric power plants pollute the environment much more, and industrial production in some regions of Russia, including Tatarstan, has a higher level of threat of destruction of all life in the event of a disaster at the enterprise.

The last argument in favor of the construction ban is the seismic threat in the area of the construction of the Tatar nuclear power plant. Scientists believe that the problem is too exaggerated and give an example of the safe operation of nuclear power plants on the Kola Peninsula, Armenia, where such a hazard is more likely and seismicactivity was shown more than once. Perhaps the old project did not meet modern challenges, and the unfinished station was waiting for a new level of safety that the current level of technology development can provide.

Resuscitation or a new project?

The question of where the Tatar nuclear power plant will be built has been decided in favor of Kamskiye Polyany. The construction was undertaken by the Rosenergoatom concern. According to the new project, the station's capacity will be 2300 MW, which will be provided by two reactors of 1150 MW each. No one will return to the old construction option, but it is worth using the remnants of the infrastructure, this compensates for some costs. The cost of the current project is estimated at between $20 billion and $48 billion

Supporters

The construction of nuclear power plants always resonates, and the Tatar nuclear power plant is no exception. The resumption of construction raised a storm in society. There were both supporters and opponents. The need to build a station is justified by the rapid development of Zakamye. In the economic zone in the Elabuga region, it is planned to build one hundred and thirty energy-intensive industrial enterprises, there are big plans for the development of industrial production in Naberezhnye Chelny, the developing petrochemical industry in Nizhnekamsk requires energy, and it is planned to build the second stage of the Ammonium plant in Mendeleevsk. Cheap energy is needed to meet growing needs.

Supporters of the launch of the nuclear power plant focus on the economic component of the future well-being of all of Tatarstan and onsafety of the use of nuclear energy. In addition, the nuclear power plant will solve the issue of unemployment in Kamskiye Polyany. Today, about 15,700 people live in the city, the vast majority of the population is forced to look for jobs far outside the city. Often, energy specialists work on a rotational basis at various construction sites or even leave for other regions in search of a better life. The launch of the station will not only provide jobs for the entire population, but also increase the influx of labor, and then the number of residents up to 600 thousand people.

Opponents

Environmentalists, scientists and ordinary citizens oppose the construction of nuclear power plants. The argument is seismic hazard, which can lead to leakage and contamination of a huge region, death of people in a densely populated area. The consequences of the disaster can be outlined, but it is impossible to calculate all the losses, especially in the long term. The Chernobyl disaster still presents disappointing surprises today, despite the assurances of the Ukrainian official authorities about the complete cleanliness of the zone.

Additional arguments for a moratorium on construction are the presence of several energy sources in the immediate vicinity of regions with industrial facilities. In particular, they point to the Nizhnekamsk HPP, which does not operate at full capacity. Filling the reservoir of the hydroelectric power station to the level of 68 meters (now 63 meters) will increase the capacity to the design 1248 MW. (now 450 MW.).

Also, some opponents say that the resumption of the energy independence of the region can bestart not with the Tatar nuclear power plant, but reanimate the plant in the town of Dimitrovgrad. What is the Tatar NPP today - these are completely destroyed buildings, only a small part of which has been preserved intact and only because concrete casting can only be destroyed by a directed atomic explosion. In Dimitrovgrad, until recently, 8 reactors functioned, their purpose was research and military.

Now there are only two working there, the entire infrastructure is completely ready, special work and financial costs for re-profiling will not be required. Several more options for solving the problem of energy supply are named, while accusing Rosatom of lobbying its own interests to the detriment of regional ones.

Voice of the People

Most of the population sees a clear threat from the placement of nuclear reactors in their immediate vicinity, rallies are initiated against the resuscitation of the station. The construction of the Tatar nuclear power plant in the overwhelming majority of cases is perceived negatively.

Meetings at the highest level are being held in the republic, work is being done with the population to explain the safety of modern nuclear technologies that are planned for the application of the Tatar NPP project. In Mamadysh, Naberezhnye Chelny and other large cities of Tatarstan, most of the population does not express support for the project. At the same time, everyone wants to live in a region with a high standard of living. The paradox is still unresolved.