Beloyarsk unit 4
In June 2022, JSC Atomenergoproekt, the engineering division of Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom, and Rosenergoatom, its power plant operating division, signed an agreement to develop design documentation for the BN-1200 sodium-cooled fast reactor. This reactor is part of Rosatom’s initiative to create fast reactors with a closed fuel cycle, using mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel that is reprocessed and recycled. The Beloyarsk plant already operates the BN-600 reactor (unit 3), operational since 1980, and the 789 MWe BN-800 reactor (unit 4), which began commercial operation in October 2016. The BN-1200, to be installed as unit 5, builds on these reactors as a larger, advanced model.
The BN-1200 reactor incorporates proven technical solutions from the BN-600 and BN-800, alongside new features. It will use four liquid sodium circulation loops instead of three, increase in-reactor storage capacity to transfer fuel assemblies directly to the used fuel pool, and employ a chimney-type evaporative cooling tower for turbine condensers. Rosatom states that the BN-1200 unit is designed for a service life of at least 60 years, enhancing efficiency and sustainability in nuclear energy production.
The construction license was granted after Rostechnadzor reviewed documentation confirming the unit’s safety and compliance with technical regulations, federal standards, and Russian legislation. Additionally, Atomenergoproekt JSC received approval from the Ministry of Construction’s Glavgosexpertiza for the technical aspects of the preparatory design, following surveys at the construction site that met regulatory requirements.
Ivan Sidorov, Director of Beloyarsk NPP, stated: “Installation of the prototype serial power unit with BN-1200M reactor at Beloyarsk NPP will make it possible to take another important step towards two-component nuclear power engineering and fully use the ecological and economic advantages of the closed nuclear fuel cycle. The personnel of Beloyarsk NPP has accumulated vast experience in operating the unique BN-600 and BN-800 sodium fast reactors, so it is logical that the prototype BN-1200M will be created here.”
The Beloyarsk unit 5 project aligns with Russia’s nuclear energy strategy, targeting completion by 2034. The initiative emphasizes sustainable energy production through advanced reactor designs and closed fuel cycle technology, leveraging the expertise gained from decades of operating fast reactors at the Beloyarsk facility.
