The Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service (Rostekhnadzor) issued a license for further operation of the power unit No 2 of Balakovo NPP until 2043. The new license will be valid for 26 years.

The extension of power unit operation is implemented at Russian NPPs in accordance with the Russian Federation State Program of “Development of the Nuclear Power Industry Complex” and the “Program for extending lifespan of Rosenergoatom Concern NPPs’ operating units for 2013-2023”.

The power unit No 2 of Balakovo NPP produced its first current in 1987. It has been working reliably and safely for 30 years, provided by the project. Over this time, more than 186 billion kWh of electric energy were supplied to the country's energy system.

In 2012, the Plant’s specialists have started testing the unit’s condition, preparing documents to justifiably extend its operation, and proceeded large-scale modernization works. The design characteristics and physical parameters of the unit were brought into compliance with modern standards and requirements; the unit’s equipment reached such a technical condition that allowed it to work for an additional period.

As part of the over-a-year operation extension, the experts of the Volga Interregional Territorial Administration for Supervision of Nuclear and Radiation Safety studied the documents from the NPP.

The final stage of preparation for the license was held in July 2017, when the team of experts has already been working directly at the Plant and studying the real picture of the preparation of the operation extension.

The Commission Chairman, the Deputy Head of the VITA for Supervision of Nuclear and Radiation Safety Aleksandr Gribkov, noting the high degree of the Balakovo second unit readiness for obtaining the license, summed up, “We saw that the Plant had done a lot of work to modernize the equipment. Unit No 2 meets all the modern requirements.”

The expert conclusion on Balakovo NPP unit No 2 operation safety in connection with the operation extension issued by the Scientific and Technical Center for Nuclear and Radiation Safety (SSTC NRS) states, “The safety concept for the power unit No 2 of Balakovo NPP complies with the requirements of federal norms and rules in the field of atomic energy use.”