At the 3+ generation innovative power unit No 1 with VVER-1200 reactor of Leningrad NPP-2 (branch of Rosenergoatom Concern, a part of Rosatom's Electric Energy Division), the power start-up program was completed. All the works provided for at this stage have been fully implemented.

As the Chief Engineer of LNPP-2 Alexandr Belyaev explained, the specialists had conducted the unit’s complex testing with a gradual power increase from 1% to 35% during the power start-up, once again confirmed the reliability and safety of equipment and technological systems, checked the automatic protections and interlocks, and performed a test run of the turbine and synchronized the generator with the grid.

“Basically, we checked the functioning of all the equipment of the power unit when operating at normal working parameters and generating thermal and electric energy, and changed the status of a new super-powerful Leningrad power unit from under construction to operating – in 4 hours of operation at a minimum power level of 240 MW it produced about one million kilowatt-hours of electric energy into the Unified Energy System of Russia”, Alexandr Belyaev explained.

At present, the reactor facility has been cooled down. The specialists have started a routine audit of the power unit’s equipment and technological systems. After obtaining the Rostekhnadzor permission the power unit No 1 with the VVER-1200 reactor of Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant-2 has begun the stage of Experimental Industrial Pilot Operation. During this stage the capacity of the reactor unit will be gradually raised to 100%. At this final stage, the design reliability and safety performance of the new power unit will be definitively confirmed.

It is planned that the new power unit of Leningrad NPP-2 will be put into commercial operation by the end of 2018.