At the construction site of the Leningrad NPP, the main excavation work has been completed to develop a pit for the nuclear island of power unit No. 7 of PWR-1200. At the moment, the foundation of the pit is being formed, the design elevation of which will be minus 15.85 m.

A nuclear island is usually called a complex of buildings and structures related to the operation and maintenance of the nuclear reactor of a nuclear power unit.

“Developing the foundation pit for a nuclear island is a large-scale work at the initial stage of construction of a power unit. The dimensions of the pit are 196 by 266 meters, which is three times the area of a standard football field. During the construction process, about 660 thousand cubic meters of soil were removed from the pit, said Evgeniy Milushkin, deputy director for capital construction - head of the LNPP-2 Capital Construction Department.

According to him, “50 people, 30 vehicles and 15 special mechanisms were involved in the work. Next, specialists will begin installing the drainage of buildings and structures of the nuclear island of power unit No. 7 of PWR-1200.”

Now, equipment and personnel have been transferred to the turbine island of PWR-1200 power unit No. 7 to construct a pit for the turbine island.

“From August 30, the general contractor for the construction of new power units of the Leningrad NPP-2 JSC CONCERN TITAN-2, in accordance with the schedule, began constructing a pit for the turbine island. Specialists will have to develop 348 thousand cubic meters of soil. The work is planned to be completed by November 2023,” said Konstantin Khudyakov, director of the program for LNPP units under construction at CONCERN TITAN-2 JSC.

Let us remind you that the vertical layout and construction of an upland ditch for drainage of surface water are being completed at the construction site. The arrangement of areas for the passage of vehicles and personnel, the installation of temporary outdoor lighting and temporary fencing of the construction site continues.

The radiation situation at the industrial site and in the LNPP observation area is within the limits of natural background values.

Operational information on the radiation situation near Russian NPPs and other facilities of the nuclear industry is available on the website www.russianatom.ru.

The Leningrad NPP is the largest nuclear power plant in Russia in terms of installed capacity of 4,400 MW. 4 RBMK-1000 units and 2 PWR-1200 units are operated here. Units 1 and 2 of the RBMK-1000 have been shut down for decommissioning after 45 years of service. They were replaced by two PWR-1200 units in 2018 and 2021. The design service life is 60 years with the possibility of extension for another 20 years. Two more new power units No. 7 and No. 8 VVER-1200 of the Leningrad NPP are planned to be commissioned in 2030 and 2032, respectively. They will become the replacement capacities of power unit No. 3 and No. 4 of RBMK-1000. The annual production of each PWR-1200 power unit will be more than 8.5 billion kWh of electricity. This will make it possible not only to guarantee the provision of light and heat to the residents of the region but also to successfully continue the implementation of large regional investment projects. Also, the new phase of the nuclear power plant is guaranteed to provide jobs for almost two thousand people.

The efficient operation of the fuel and energy complex is of utmost importance for the state, guaranteeing economic stability and well-being of citizens. Large industry companies are developing production, investing in new projects, and import-substituting technologies. Rosatom and its enterprises take an active part in this work.