Smolensk NPP is located in the south of the Smolensk region, 3 km from the city of Desnogorsk. At the moment, its total installed capacity is 3,000 MW, and its thermal capacity is 9,600 MW. At the same time, it accounts for more than 80% of the total amount of energy produced in the region. For example, last year it generated 24,182.2 million kWh of electricity. Like other nuclear power plants in our country (there are ten in total), it operates as part of Rosenergoatom Concern JSC, and accounts for about 13% of the concern's total energy generation. So the station is not small, but how interesting it is, I'll show you now.

I like to start my acquaintance with any enterprise with history, because it's no secret whoever remembers it has a future. In this regard, the nuclear scientists are great, they built large, spacious, beautiful and very informative information centers in each region of their presence. Here visitors can get acquainted in great detail with the history, and with the present, and even the future of the power plant, as well as understand how everything works and is arranged there. Here in the city of Desnogorsk, of course, there is one, and the first thing we do is go there.

And it all started like this. On September 26, 1966, the Council of Ministers of the USSR adopted Resolution No. 800/252 on the construction of the Smolensk NPP. In 1971, its construction began. Thanks to the nuclear power plant, the village of Desnogorsk first appeared on the map of our country, which then grew into a city. By the way, it was on February 24, 1974 that it was officially registered as a settlement, and according to the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of January 31, 1989, it became a city.

Moving on, 1978 was marked by the blocking of the Desna River, after which the filling of the Desnogorsk reservoir began. On December 25, 1982, an act was signed on the acceptance of power unit No. 1 of the Smolensk NPP for commercial operation. From May 31, 1985, power unit No. 2 began to help him. In our country, the trinity is always held in high esteem, and here we went along this path, putting power unit No. 3 into operation on January 30, 1990. True, they also planned to build a fourth one, the construction of which was started in the fall of 1984, but in December 1993 it was stopped.

Nothing lasts forever and our safety comes first. No matter how good our Smolensk NPP is, and it has a certain service life, therefore, power engineers are already thinking about the next generations today. In December 2012, the Director General of Rosatom State Corporation Sergey Kiriyenko signed an order to start work on the construction of the second stage of the Smolensk NPP (Smolensk NPP-2). She will become a replacement station. At Smolensk NPP-2, the project will install two power units of a new generation with improved reactor plants of the V-510 type (Project VVER-TOI), with an electric capacity of 1255 MW each and a thermal one of 3312 MW. These new reactors will be an order of magnitude more reliable in terms of all safety standards and meet the most insane IAEA requirements. And their service life will be already 60 years. In November 2014, survey work for the construction of Smolensk NPP-2 was completed. Now the first two power units are being designed, which should be put into operation in 2024 and 2026, respectively. As they are commissioned, most likely by 2027, the operating power unit No. 1 of the Smolensk NPP will be decommissioned. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. If they ever call me to this construction site, I will definitely show and tell you everything in detail.

10. Hurray, here she is a beauty, immediately awe is everywhere, in short, she got it :)

Smolensk NPP operates three power units with RBMK-1000 single-loop uranium-graphite channel reactors. The electrical capacity of each such power unit is 1 GW, and the thermal capacity is 3.2 GW.

Smolensk NPP sends all the generated energy to the unified energy system of Russia, with which it is connected by six power lines with voltage electric current 330 kV (Roslavl-1, 2), 500 kV (Kaluga, Mikhailov), 750 kV (Novo-Bryansk, Belorusskaya).

13. Lenin is alive here too, and the panel is really cool

14. And here are those who need to be equal

15. I will not repeat how we went through everything here. We were dressed, special socks, boots, bathrobes, caps, gloves, ear plugs and helmets, everything was as it should be. We went through various security systems. Control at all stages at Rosatom is severe and the same everywhere. But what I really liked and what I was really pleasantly surprised with was the fact that here we were shown and allowed much more. It is not for nothing that Smolensk NPP was repeatedly recognized among the winners in various competitions among energy enterprises of the nuclear industry, even the world, for example, in 2011 according to the OSART version of the IAEA. In fact, before my eyes, the information transparency of the company as a whole is being transformed, and this is very cool, I’m afraid to jinx it, we’ll check it at the next nuclear power plant.

16. Block control panel. It is from here that control and management of all processes at the station is carried out.

21. More than 4,000 people work at SNPP.

23. Central hall of RBMK-1000 Smolensk NPP

For fans of statistics I fix. The first power unit with an RBMK-1000 type reactor was launched in 1973 at the Leningrad NPP (we were there last time). Its thermal power is 3200 MW, electric power is 1000 MW. The moderator here is graphite, and the coolant is water. The reactor itself is located in a reinforced concrete shaft and is a system of channels with fuel assemblies installed in them. The number of technological channels is 1661, the number of control and protection rods is 211. The reactor is loaded with 200 tons of uranium. And the average fuel burnup is 22.6 MW*day/kg.

25. Unloading machine, which reloads the fuel cartridges.

27. Well, I again got to the next dose of radiation :)

29. Fuel ready for loading into the reactor

32. One fuel assembly weighs about 130 kg, its length is 7 meters. It serves for 1.5-2 years.

39. Main circulation pumps designed to create coolant circulation in the NPP primary circuit.

40. And this is the machine room of the Smolensk NPP, its length is 600 m.

41. Each power unit has two turbine generators. Here they are located for all three power units. The power of one such turbogenerator is 500 MW, and it weighs as much as 1,200 tons.

Actually, the process of obtaining the necessary energy is as follows. There is a controlled chain reaction that takes place in the reactor core: fuel - uranium dioxide U235 - is divided by thermal neutrons. As a result, a great amount heat, which is converted into electricity with the help of separators, steam generators and turbines. That is, at first, nuclear energy passes into thermal energy, thermal energy at the next stage into mechanical energy, and that energy already into electrical energy.

44. At the end of our program, we looked into the External Radiation Monitoring Laboratory, there was no sensation, we will live and live happily ever after!

45. Thanks a lot to the entire press office Rosenergoatom Concern OJSC and personally to Artyom aoshpakov Shpakov for organizing this trip!

Director of the Smolensk NPP Alexander Vasilyev - about the prospects for the development of the largest energy company in the Smolensk region and its contribution to the regional economy.
- Alexander Ivanovich, tell us about the investment program and activities of the Smolensk NPP in the coming years in connection with the extension of the operating life of power units. How was the modernization of equipment and systems carried out, what unique moments can be identified, how much money was spent on it?
- Before starting a conversation about the prospects for the development of the Smolensk NPP, I would like to say a few words in general about the largest energy enterprise in the Smolensk region. It's no secret that Smolensk nuclear power station for 33 years now, it has been safely and uninterruptedly supplying consumers with a quality product - environmentally friendly electrical and thermal energy. Smolensk NPP is the main taxpayer in the region, making a significant contribution to its economic well-being. It is a responsible employer that provides decent conditions and wages for staff, takes care of their health, and supports young people and retirees.

The design 30-year service life of operating NPPs was determined in the 50–60s of the last century and reflects some conservatism of the accepted calculation base for its justification. Many years of experience in the operation of nuclear power plants, actual operational data on equipment wear, modern achievements Science and technology make it possible today to revise the previously established service life of power units and the timing of decommissioning of NPP equipment. Practice and research have shown that the power unit is capable of operating much longer than the range of 30 years previously determined by the designers, and therefore one of the tasks investment program The development of nuclear power plants was the modernization and extension of the operating life of power units by an average of 15-25 years with an increase in their safety by 1.5-2 orders of magnitude. This policy of the nuclear industry is supported by the leadership of the state.
At Smolensk NPP, preparations for power unit No. 1 for additional term operation started in 2002. In the course of a comprehensive survey of the power unit, the fundamental possibility of operating non-replaceable elements (graphite masonry, reactor metal structures, foundations, foundations), as well as the power unit as a whole beyond the design life, was determined, the elements to be replaced due to the exhaustion of the resource were determined. The audit did not reveal any factors hindering the further safe operation of the "first-born" Smolensk NPP. During the large-scale modernization and reconstruction of the first power unit, a colossal amount of work was carried out. A number of systems have been modernized: control and management of the reactor plant, emergency cooling of the reactor, radiation monitoring, the Skala centralized control system has been replaced with a modern Skala-micro automated system, and an automated coolant leak detection system has been introduced. The building structures of the "hot" rooms of the power unit were strengthened, all technological channels, thermal mechanical and electrical equipment, which had exhausted its resource, were replaced. After that, an in-depth and comprehensive safety assessment of the power unit was carried out, and the personnel were trained to operate the newly installed and modernized equipment.

The life extension work for Unit 1 was completed in December 2011, one year before the end of its designated life. Their cost amounted to about 8 billion rubles. Licensed in December 2012 Federal Service on environmental, technological and nuclear supervision for the operation of a nuclear installation in an additional period for a period of 15 years until 2027. For three years now, the renovated power unit has been in the "line" of the operating ones.
A similar amount of modernization work was carried out at the second unit. The work was completed in May 2014. The cost of the work amounted to about 10 billion rubles. The operating life of power unit No. 2 has been extended by 15 years, until 2030. Ahead is the modernization of the third power unit, the design life cycle of which ends in five years. A comprehensive survey was also carried out, an investment project, design estimates were developed, and equipment for repairs was supplied.
The leading scientific, design and engineering organizations of Russia, the best domestic manufacturers of equipment for nuclear power plants, installation and repair organizations, and specialists of the nuclear power plant are participating in the work to extend the life of all three power units of the Smolensk NPP. The result of their great joint work allows extending the life of the power units of the Smolensk NPP, ensuring their safe and reliable operation.


- How many jobs will be saved or increased, will tax payments increase during the period for which the construction of a new nuclear power plant is postponed?
Smolensk NPP is a city-forming enterprise, therefore, most of its able-bodied population works at the nuclear power plant or in contracting organizations. Thus, Smolensk NPP provides jobs for more than 7 thousand people.
Until the commissioning of the replacement capacities - Smolensk NPP-2, the personnel of the nuclear power plant and contractors will be provided with work, since, as I have already said, the operating life of the power units has been extended. Nevertheless, the number of staff at the Smolensk plant, as well as at all other nuclear power plants of the Rosenergoatom concern, will decrease over time. And here, I would like to emphasize we are talking not about reducing staff, but about optimizing the number, that is, the withdrawal of non-core (auxiliary) functions and the personnel performing them to contractors. The optimization process is inevitable, since labor productivity and, as a result, an increase in the competitiveness of the enterprise directly depend on it. Thus, we have already partially outsourced the repair functions to OAO Atomenergoremont, the decontamination of equipment and cleaning of the nuclear power plant premises - to OOO SAES-Service. In fact, all these people continue to work at the Smolensk NPP.
Now about taxes. Tax payments from Smolensk NPP to the regional budget tend to grow from year to year, and this is a clear confirmation that during the postponement of the construction of Smolensk NPP-2, the budget filling will not decrease. All programs implemented at the Smolensk NPP are directly related to the increase in tax revenues. In particular, significant investments in the modernization of existing units in order to extend their service life lead to an increase in the cost of fixed assets, and hence to an increase in the share of income tax when it is distributed by a consolidated group of taxpayers between regions. In addition, investments in modernization increase the property tax, which is fully transferred to the budget of the Smolensk region.
Tell us about how the work on the construction of SNPP-2 is going?
It would not be superfluous to recall that the Smolensk NPP-2 project has always been considered as a project for a nuclear power plant to replace the existing power units of the Smolensk NPP. Thus, the commissioning of the first power unit of SNPP-2 should take place after the decommissioning of the first power unit of the operating nuclear power plant, in 2027. The VVER-TOI project was chosen for SNPP-2 - these are advanced reactors of increased safety and reliability that meet all modern world norms and standards.
Preparations for the construction of a replacement nuclear power plant are proceeding in accordance with the approved schedule of activities. To date, much has been done: engineering surveys have been carried out on the site, an assessment of the impact of future construction on environment and its public discussions were held, materials were developed to substantiate the license for the placement of replacement power units. Design surveys have been completed and an act on the selection of a land plot for the construction of new facilities has been drawn up. Documents on the transfer of land to industrial use are undergoing the approval procedure in state bodies. In the future, the whole complex is to be completed preparatory work and obtain at the state level all the necessary permits for the placement and construction of replacement power units for SNPP-2.

Smolensk Nuclear Power Plant (SAES, also known as Desnogorsk Nuclear Power Plant) is located in the south of the Smolensk region of Russia, three kilometers from the city of Desnogorsk and 150 kilometers from the city of Smolensk. Accurate Smolensk NPP address- 216400, Smolensk region, Desnogorsk, Industrial zone SAES. The total capacity of 3,000 MW is made up of three reactors RBMK-1000. Similar types of reactors were installed on. Nevertheless, in 2009 the SNPP was recognized as the best NPP in Russia in the nomination "Physical Protection". And in 2011, the Smolensk Nuclear Power Plant became the "Best NPP in Russia" based on the results of work for 2010, as well as in terms of safety culture.

The construction of the nuclear power plant in Desnogorsk began in 1975, and already in 1982 the first reactor was put into operation. The second and third were launched in 1985 and 1990 respectively. The construction of the fourth reactor was started in 1984, but was stopped in 1993. Dates: 2020 - the third reactor, 2027 - the first reactor, 2030 - the second reactor.

By the time Unit 1 is decommissioned in 2027, Smolensk NPP-2 is to be launched. The planned launch date is 2024.

Desnogorsk NPP is a city-forming enterprise; in total, more than five thousand people work for it. Most of the station workers are residents of Desnogorsk. Smolensk Oblast is also the largest supplier of electricity in the Smolensk region, generating about 20 billion kWh of electricity. This is more than 80% of all electricity generated by the region.

Last week I took a trip to a place I never dreamed of before. For those who often write about large industrial facilities, getting to an operating nuclear power plant is already a holiday. For me, this is a double celebration! For the first time I visited a large and strategically important facility.

Smolensk NPP is located in Desnogorsk. This city is located approximately in the middle between Smolensk and Bryansk, not far from Roslavl.

1. First, some basic information.

2. There are 10 nuclear power plants in Russia. In total, they generate 16% of the electricity in the country.

3. Smolensk NPP was put into operation in 1982. In the future, Solenskaya NPP-2 will be built to gradually decommission the capacities of NPP-1.

4. In order not to rewrite the pictures, I immediately designate the scheme of operation of the SAES.

5. And now we are moving to the territory of the nuclear power plant.

6. The cooling pond is teeming with fish. Its quantity is huge because of the temperature. It's consistently warmer here. Specialists from Moscow specially come to control the amount of fish!

6. Also, algae actively live and multiply here.

7. At the entrance we are met by a large mosaic with Vladimir Ilyich.

8. Is it worth talking about safety at nuclear power plants? Every person in their right mind wants to live. Numerous posters in workplaces, corridors and intermediate rooms are bright, clear and sometimes very motivating.

9. Passage to the territory for the guest only with equipment that is declared in advance. Dressing completely in white clothes. In general, I was pleasantly surprised that it was possible to shoot a lot. In any case, everything cannot be shown, but in my little experience there were already places where there were much more prohibitions.

10. Unfortunately, my stupidity sometimes goes beyond. I managed to forget to remove the polarizing filter for screen shots. So they came out darker than the real one.

11. The NPP control system is a huge shield with a bunch of buttons and levers.

12. To shoot it completely you need to use a 360 camera or ask everyone to step out of the frame and shoot from the very corner.

13. Workplace.

14. If you don't know what it is, you don't represent a nuclear power plant device. These buttons are responsible for controlling the rods - the basis of the reactor.

15. And three red levers nearby - shutdown of all three reactors. I hope that they will not need to be used in extreme circumstances or for prevention.

16.

17. Red lines on the floor - a place where it is dangerous to go. Just in case.

18. Ahead is the most important, most interesting and most desired place by all guests of the nuclear power plant.

19. The central hall, in which the base of the entire station is located - the power unit. We are in one of three such.

20. Before us is the reactor itself. His upper part called a plateau. The people (I used to love games about Chernobyl) often called the lid, the surface. Internally, the device resembles a large bunch of pencils. Remember in your school years there were heaps of unsharpened pencils tightened with an elastic band? Here is something similar

21. Under the cells are fuel assemblies in the form of tubes with uranium pellets.

22. To be honest, it was scary to enter the plateau for the first time. It would seem that I can imagine what is under me, others have already gone, but I'm scared. Then he decided anyway. Fine. Feelings are special. I even made a rare photo for myself "at the feet".

23. The height of the room is designed for a calm rise of each part of the structure. And the yellow "pipe" in the middle of the photo will soon generate electricity.

24. As you can see, the design consists of ordinary tubes, inside which are uranium tablets. Now, until they are lowered into the reactor, they do not pose a danger.

25. In order to carry out work on the replacement of parts in the hall there is a special machine.

26. This is a crane that moves throughout the area and drags structural elements. Can be controlled both automatically and manually.

27. Workplace.

28. Waste material remains here for 1.5 years.

29. General form the design is impressive. While I was in this hall, I was reached with an interview. They pulled the first sensations out of me. Then it really seemed to me that everything is compact here. yes, I understand that large object high power with huge weight and large scale. But for some reason, my distorted idea initially expected that everything here would be not just big, but huge.

30. And of course everything is under control.

32.

33. And this is the turbine hall. The place where electricity appears.

34. This layered design generates electrical energy from steam by moving the blades in a turbine at a speed of 3,000 revolutions per minute.

35. All characteristics.

36. The rumble standing here is a little misleading.

37. It may surprise you, but it's not here a large number of people. Those who are - in soundproof rooms. Automation works flawlessly and protects the system in case of emergency.

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39. To study everything that is in this picture, I, a humanist, will need to spend a year.

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43. Part of the nuclear power plant capacity goes to serve the city.

44. And in the end, let's take a short look at the laboratory of external radiation monitoring. It is no longer at the nuclear power plant, but in the city.

45. So that you understand the level of radiation in the vicinity of the station, I post the table in full. For comparison, in St. Petersburg on the embankments, the indicator from the second column is 0.45, and in Moscow in places 0.60.

46. ​​Numerous tests are still being carried out here of everything that is possible.

47. But I think that it is wrong to rewrite Wikipedia, and it is she who will tell you better about the meaning and purpose of devices.

My gratitude to the organizers of the blog tour, the NPP staff and the security service! I didn't expect to be able to photograph everything that seems interesting!

Thank you for your attention! Stay in touch!