Russia to begin building “medium-sized” VVER-600 reactors at Kola II

Russia plans to begin construction of the second phase of the Kola nuclear power plant in the Murmansk region in two years. By 2037, two new medium-capacity VVER-600 units will have been built at the site. The company expects the first nuclear units with an output of 600 MW to complement its portfolio of nuclear reactors.

Russian energy company Rosatom announced its plans for the Kola nuclear power plant in the Murmansk region. During a visit to the plant, its director general confirmed that the company plans to extend the operating lives of the plant’s older units. He also announced that Rosatom will begin construction of the plant’s second phase in 2027, comprising two VVER-600 units (also known as VVER-S or S-600).

“Kola-2 will be the first nuclear power plant with modern medium-capacity units with an output of 600 MW. The project will enable the confident development of the region’s economy and social sector and create opportunities to launch new industrial projects there. The innovative medium-capacity reactor project meets modern power system requirements, including the need for flexibility, which is especially important for regions with grid constraints, including the Kola Peninsula,” said Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev.

The Kola nuclear power plant currently has four VVER-440 units dating from the 1970s and 1980s. Its current generating capacity is 1644 MW (net). Rosatom is expected to operate the units for at least 60 years.

Medium-sized VVER unit

Plans to build a second phase, known as Kola-2, have existed since the 1990s. Since then, both the planned number of units and the technology itself, as well as the installed capacity, have changed.

The final plan now calls for construction to begin on two VVER units with an installed capacity of 600 MW. In practice, this will be the first VVER-600 medium-sized nuclear unit project to be built. Rosatom says the lower output will complement its portfolio of nuclear reactors. In addition to small reactors with capacities ranging from a few to several dozen MW and VVER-1200 units, the company will also be able to offer a medium-sized alternative with more flexible control of generation.

Rosatom plans to bring the first two Kola-2 units online by 2037 and says a further pair could also be built at the site. The total installed capacity of Kola-2 will therefore match that of the Kola plant, which the company will decommission in the coming decades.