Nizhny Novgorod NPP: description, construction time, interesting facts and reviews

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

The construction of such an important facility for the country's economy as the Nizhny Novgorod nuclear power plant was reported in the media as early as 2006. The project of this plant is a serial one and the construction of the Novovoronezh nuclear power plant is currently underway. The customer of this new facility is Energoatom Concern LLC. The project itself was developed by specialists from the engineering company Atomproekt (Nizhny Novgorod).

Feasibility of construction

Unfortunately, there is not a single large power plant in the Nizhny Novgorod region. With all this, there are a lot of various plants and factories in the region. Thus, the shortage of electricity becomes a serious brake on the development of the region's economy. The construction of a nuclear power plant can help completely solve the problem. After the construction of this serious facility, among other things, thousands of new jobs will appear in the region. Experts also say that the construction of the station will have a beneficial effect not only on Nizhny Novgorod, but also on neighboring regions. After all, the supply of electricity after the construction of nuclear power plantsit is supposed to be produced there as well.

Where will the Nizhny Novgorod nuclear power plant be built - the final decision

When drafting the NPP, two sites for its location were initially considered: 23 km from Murom, near the village of Monakovo (Navashinsky district) or 20 km southwest of the city of Uren (Urensky district). In 2009, after careful field research, the first option was preferred. The station will be built, thus, next to Monakov. It was calculated that the construction of a nuclear power plant in the area would cost 20 billion rubles less.

What awaits the population

As the developers of the project say, the Nizhny Novgorod NPP is a facility whose construction will not affect the ecological situation in the region in any way. Modern stations are designed in such a way that no increased radiation background is observed even directly on their territory. Therefore, the nearby villages at the construction site of the new nuclear power plant, of course, will not be settled. In addition, the construction of the station will stimulate the accelerated development of infrastructure in the Navashinsky district.

Arguments against

Of course, not everyone is satisfied with the construction of the station in the Nizhny Novgorod region. As the main argument, opponents of the construction of this object put forward the fact that karst failures are constantly formed in the area of the village of Monakovo. However, the project developers reassure the population that a stable area of several kilometers was found through geological surveys for the construction of power units.

Design Features

It is assumed that the nuclear power plant in the Nizhny Novgorod region will consist of two power units. Their total capacity will be 2510 MW. In the future, it is planned to build two more reactors. Initially, they wanted to use VVER-1200 power units at the Nizhny Novgorod NPP. However, later they decided to use a more advanced and safer option. According to the existing project, VVER-TOI pressurized water reactors will be used at the station. The nuclear power plant itself will include the main building, safety facilities and auxiliary facilities.

Transportation within the territory of the station was initially supposed to be carried out by railway transport. However, later it was decided to replace it with a car. This made it possible to reduce the area of the station and, consequently, reduce costs.

VVER-TOI reactor

Replaced VVER-1200 with VVER-TOI, primarily due to increased safety requirements after Fukushima. The advanced nuclear reactor VVER-TOI is capable of withstanding hurricanes and tornadoes with a wind speed of 56 m/s, an earthquake of up to 8 points, an aircraft crash weighing 400 tons, and a shock wave with a pressure of up to 30 kPa. The advantages of the VVER-TOI reactor, among other things, include the fact that in case of any malfunctions, it immediately automatically turns off.

Opinion of physicists

Most experts consider the construction of a nuclear power plant in the Nizhny Novgorod region, of course, appropriate and necessary. Reviews of physicists about atomic energy in most cases, of course, are positive. The advantages of building a nuclear power plant include:

• relative cheapness of energy production;
• ecological purity of the resulting product;
• opportunity to save space (nuclear power plants occupy a small area compared to other types of plants).

However, even among physicists there are opponents of the construction of such stations. Many experts consider their use as an idea too dangerous.

In Nizhny Novgorod, one of the initiators of protests against the construction of such a facility as the Nizhny Novgorod Nuclear Power Plant was the well-known nuclear physicist A. Ozharovsky. In his opinion, the Navashinsky district is not the best place for building a nuclear power plant. In the world, no one ever builds a nuclear power plant on karsts. And in the Nizhny Novgorod region, in fact, a dangerous experiment will be staged. At the same time, according to A. Ozharovsky, building a station on a karst site is even more risky than in a seismically active region.

The opinion of ordinary citizens

The construction of the Nizhny Novgorod nuclear power plant in the Navashinsky district, of course, caused a mixed reaction in society. After the deputies agreed to the construction of this important facility, the inhabitants of the region, in fact, were divided into two camps. Some citizens are in favor of building a nuclear power plant, believing that this will have a good effect on the financial situation of the region. And consequently, it will increase the material well-being of all Nizhny Novgorod residents. Others categorically do not want to livenext to such a dangerous object and organize all kinds of protests - from rallies to an appeal to the president. However, according to sociologists, environmentalists and opponents of construction have practically no chance of winning in this situation. Even despite the mostly negative public reaction, the station will still be built sooner or later.

Construction timeline

Of course, many residents of not only this region, but also those nearby would like to know when and where the Nizhny Novgorod nuclear power plant will be built. According to the first project, the station near the village of Monakovo was supposed to start operating in 2014. Hearings about its construction were held in 2009. The project was approved, but the nuclear power plant was not built at that time. Opponents of the construction of the station breathed a sigh of relief. However, in January 2013, V. Kats, Vice-President for Economics of JSC NIAEP, announced that the construction of the nuclear power plant would begin in 2014. But this time, the deadlines were also postponed. According to the latest statements by representatives of the administration of the Nizhny Novgorod region, construction of the station near Monakovo will begin in 2019. In this case, the first power unit will start operating in 2022, the second - in 2025. Two more reactors will be built by 2030.

Interesting facts about nuclear power plants

The construction of the Nizhny Novgorod nuclear power plant, thus, caused quite legitimate public fears. Of course, the fears of the local population can be considered more than justified. In the event of an accident at such an object, the consequences will not only be catastrophic, buttruly terrible. Moreover, this will affect residents not only of the Nizhny Novgorod region itself, but also of all nearby regions. It is worth recalling at least the same Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the accident at which led to the contamination of the territory not only of Ukraine, but also of Belarus, Russia and even Europe.

The construction site of the Nizhny Novgorod nuclear power plant may not have been chosen very well. However, many of the public's fears about such stations are still not entirely justified. In fact, only the actual accident at a nuclear power plant with a radiation leak is scary. In all other respects, nuclear power plants are quite safe facilities that practically do not affect the ecological situation of the adjacent territory. So, for example:

• There is an opinion that people living near nuclear power plants often get leukemia. However, this fact has not been scientifically proven. According to statistics, this disease is equally common anywhere in the world.
• Some opponents of nuclear power plants believe that terrorists can send, for example, a hijacked plane to the reactor, resulting in a catastrophe. However, careful studies and calculations have shown that no transport, passenger or military aircraft can simply cause any serious damage to such objects.
• There is also an opinion that radioactive waste from nuclear power plants will soon literally fill everything around. However, this is also a misconception. There is practically no waste at nuclear power plants. Pre-existing repositoriesreplenished no more than once every 20-40 years.

What other stations will be built in Russia in the coming years

Part of a large project, the implementation of which is scheduled in Russia until 2030, are the Yuzhnouralsk, Nizhny Novgorod and Tatar nuclear power plants. By this time, in addition to the station in Monakovo, it is planned to build two reactors in Ozersk (Chelyabinsk region) and two in the village. Kamskiye Polyany (Tatarstan).

Yuzhnouralsk NPP will eventually consist of three power units. Its capacity will be 2400 MW. Initially, several sites for this station were considered. Ultimately, the choice was made in favor of the village of Metlino near the city of Ozersk. According to the project, BN-800 reactors will be installed at this station.

The project of the Tatar nuclear power plant was developed back in the 70s of the last century. Preparatory activities at the construction site chosen for it near the village of Kamskiye Polyany began in 1980. Unfortunately, in the spring of 1990 this object was frozen due to lack of funds. According to the new project, four power units will be installed at the nuclear power plant. Ultimately, the plant's capacity will be 1210 MW.

Instead of a conclusion

Thus, in the article we found out where the Nizhny Novgorod nuclear power plant will be located and when it will be built. This object will be built not far from Murom near the village of Monakovo. Of course, the region will receive colossal benefits from the construction of a nuclear power plant. The Nizhny Novgorod deputies who made the decision to build it are quite understandable. Energy shortage in the regionreally there is just great. But the opinion of the public, of course, must be taken into account without fail. At least the authorities are simply obliged to clearly explain to the population how dangerous it is to build a station near the village of Monakovo - in the karst zone.