Nuclear physics, which arose as a science after the discovery in 1986 of the phenomenon of radioactivity by scientists A. Becquerel and M. Curie, became the basis of not only nuclear weapons, but also the nuclear industry.
The beginning of nuclear research in Russia
Already in 1910 the Radium Commission was established in St. Petersburg, which included well-known physicists NN Beketov, AP Karpinsky, VI Vernadsky.
Study of radioactivity processes with isolationinternal energy was carried out at the first stage of development of nuclear energy in Russia, in the period from 1921 to 1941. Then the possibility of neutron capture by protons was proved, the possibility of a nuclear reaction by fission of uranium nuclei was theoretically justified.
Under the leadership of IV Kurchatov, the staff of the institutes of various departments carried out concrete work on the realization of the chain reaction in the fission of uranium.
The period of the creation of atomic weapons in the USSR
By 1940, a huge statisticaland practical experience, which enabled scientists to propose to the country's leadership the technical use of huge intra-atomic energy. In 1941, the first cyclotron was built in Moscow, which made it possible to systematically investigate the excitation of nuclei by accelerated ions. At the beginning of the war, the equipment was transported to Ufa and Kazan, followed by employees.
By 1943, a special laboratory for the atomic nucleus, under the leadership of IV Kurchatov, was set up, with the goal of creating a nuclear uranium bomb or fuel.
The use of atomic bombs by the United States inAugust 1945 in Hiroshima and Nagasaki created a precedent of monopolistic possession of this country by the superweapon and, accordingly, forced the USSR to accelerate the work on creating its own atomic bomb.
The result of organizationallaunch of the first in Russia uranium-graphite nuclear reactor in the village of Sarov (Gorky region) in 1946. On the F-1 test reactor, the first nuclear controlled reaction was conducted.
The industrial reactor for the enrichment of plutonium was built in 1948 in Chelyabinsk. In 1949, a nuclear plutonium charge was tested at the polygon in Semipalatinsk.
This stage became a preparatory stage in the history of the national nuclear power industry. And already in 1949, design work was started to build a nuclear power plant.
In 1954, Obninsk launched the world's first (demonstration) nuclear installation of relatively small capacity (5 MW).
The industrial double-purpose reactor, where, in addition to generating electricity, weapon-grade plutonium was also produced, it was launched in the Tomsk Region (Seversk) at the Siberian Chemical Combine.
Russian Nuclear Power Engineering: Types of Reactors
The nuclear power industry of the USSR was initially oriented towards the use of high-power reactors:
- The RBMK thermal reactor(high power channel reactor); fuel - slightly enriched uranium dioxide (2%), retarder of reaction - graphite, heat carrier - boiling water, deuterium and tritium purified (light water).
- The VVER reactor (water-water power reactor) on thermal neutrons, enclosed in a pressurized enclosure, fuel - uranium dioxide with enrichment of 3-5%, retarder - water, it is also a coolant.
- BN-600 is a fast neutron reactor, fuel is enriched uranium, the coolant is sodium. The only industrial reactor of this type in the world. It is installed on the Beloyarskaya station.
- EGP - thermal reactor(energy heterogeneous loop), works only at Bilibino NPP. It differs in that the superheating of the coolant (water) takes place in the reactor itself. Recognized as unpromising.
In total, in Russia, ten power plants currently operate 33 power units with a total capacity of more than 2300 MW:
- with VVER reactors - 17 units;
- with RMBK reactors - 11 units;
- with reactors BN-1 block;
- with reactors EGP - 4 blocks.
List of nuclear power plants in Russia and the Union republics: the period of commissioning from 1954 to 2001.
- 1954, Obninsk, Obninsk, Kaluga region. Purpose - demonstration and industrial. The reactor type is AM-1. It was stopped in 2002.
- 1958, Siberian, Tomsk-7 (Seversk), Tomsk Region. The purpose is the production of weapons-grade plutonium,additional heat and hot water for Seversk and Tomsk. Type of reactor - EI-2, ADE-3, ADE-4, ADE-5. Finally stopped in 2008 by agreement with the United States.
- 1958, Krasnoyarsk, Krasnoyarsk-27 (Zheleznogorsk). Types of reactors - ADE, ADE-1, ADE-2. Purpose - the production of weapons-grade plutonium, heat for the Krasnoyarsk ore mining and processing enterprise. The final stop was in 2010 by agreement with the United States.
- 1964, Beloyarsk NPP, Zarechny, Sverdlovsk Region. Types of reactors - AMB-100, AMB-200, BN-600, BN-800. AMB-100 was stopped in 1983, AMB-200 - in 1990. In effect.
- 1964, Novovoronezh NPP. Type of reactor - VVER, five blocks. The first and the second are stopped. Status - active.
- 1968, Dimitrovograd, Melekess (Dimitrovograd since 1972) of the Ulyanovsk region. Types of installed research reactors -WORLD, SM, RBT-6, BOR-60, RBT-10/1, RBT-10/2, VK-50. Reactors BOR-60 and VK-50 produce additional electricity. The deadline is constantly extended. Status - the only station with research reactors. Supposedly closing is 2020.
- 1972, Shevchenkivska (Mangyshlak), Aktau, Kazakhstan. Reactor BN, stopped in 1990.
- 1973 year, Kola NPP, Polyarnye Zori, Murmansk region. Four VVER reactors. Status - active.
- 1973, Leningrad, Sosnovy Bor town, Leningrad Region. Four RMBK-1000 reactors (the same as at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant). Status - active.
- 1974 year. Bilibino NPP, Bilibino, the Chukchi Autonomous Region. Types of reactors - AMB (now stopped), BN and four EGP. Active.
- 1976 year. Kurskaya, Kursk Region, Kursk Region. Four RMBK-1000 reactors were installed. Active.
- 1976 year. Armenian, Metsamor, Armenian SSR. Two VVER units, the first one was stopped in 1989, the second one operates.
- 1977 year. Chernobyl, Chernobyl, Ukraine. Four RMBK-1000 reactors were installed. The fourth block was destroyed in 1986, the second block was stopped in 1991, the first in 1996, the third in 2000.
- 1980 year. Rivne, Kuznetsovsk, Rivne region, Ukraine. Three units with VVER reactors. Active.
- 1982 year. Smolenskaya, Desnogorsk, Smolensk region, two blocks with RMBK-1000 reactors. Active.
- 1982 year. Yuzhnoukrainskaya nuclear power plant, Yuzhnoukrainsk, Nikolaev region, Ukraine. Three VVER reactors. Active.
- 1983 year. Ignalina, Visaginas (formerly Ignalina district), Lithuania. Two RMBK reactors. It was stopped in 2009 at the request of the European Union (upon accession to the EEC).
- 1984 year. Kalinin NPP, the city of Udomlya, Tver region. Two VVER reactors. Active.
- 1984 year. Zaporozhskaya, city of Energodar, Ukraine. Six blocks per VVER reactor. Active.
- 1985 year. Balakovo, city of Balakovo, Saratov region. Four VVER reactors. Active.
- 1987 year. Khmelnitskaya, city of Netishin, Khmelnytsky region, Ukraine. One VVER reactor. Active.
- year 2001. Rostov (Volgodonsk), Volgodonsk, Rostov region. By 2014, there are two units operating on VVER reactors. Two blocks under construction.
Nuclear power after the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant
1986 was a fatal year for this industry. The consequences of the man-made disaster were so unexpected for humanity that the natural motivation was the closure of many nuclear power plants. The number of nuclear power plants around the world has declined. Not only domestic stations, but also foreign ones, which were under construction under the USSR's projects were stopped.
List of nuclear power plants in Russia, the construction of which was mothballed:
- Gorkovskaya AST (heating plant);
- Crimean;
- Voronezh ACT.
List of Russian NPPs canceled at the design stage and preparatory excavation:
- Arkhangelsk;
- Volgograd;
- Far Eastern;
- Ivanovo AST (heating plant);
- Karelian nuclear power plant and Karelian-2 nuclear power plants;
- Krasnodar.
Abandoned Nuclear Power Plants in Russia: Causes
Finding a construction site ontectonic fault - this reason was indicated by official sources in the conservation of the construction of nuclear power plants in Russia. The map of the seismically tense territories of the country separates the Crimea-Kavkaz-Kopetdag zone, the Baikal rift, the Altai-Sayan, the Far-Eastern and the Amur.
From this point of view, the construction of the Crimeanstation (the readiness of the first block - 80%) was started really unreasonably. The real reason for the conservation of other energy facilities as expensive was the unfavorable situation - the economic crisis in the USSR. At that time, many industrial facilities were left untreated (literally thrown to steal), despite the high readiness.
Rostov NPP: the resumption of construction contrary to the opinion of the public
Construction of the station was started in 1981. And in 1990, under pressure from the active public, the regional council decided to keep the construction site. The readiness of the first block at that time was already 95%, and the second - 47%.
Eight years later, in 1998, was adjustedinitial project, the number of blocks reduced to two. In May 2000 the construction was resumed, and in May 2001 the first unit was included in the power system. From the next year the construction of the second one was resumed. The final launch was postponed several times, and only in March 2010 it was connected to the power system of the Russian Federation.
Rostov NPP: 3 blocks
In 2009, it was decided to develop the Rostov nuclear power plant with the installation of four more units based on VVER reactors.
In view of the current situationthe Rostov NPP should become the electricity supplier to the Crimean peninsula. Block 3 in December 2014 was connected to the power system of the Russian Federation while with a minimum capacity. By mid-2015, it is planned to start its industrial operation (1011 MW), which should reduce the risk of electricity shortages from Ukraine to the Crimea.
Atomic energy in modern Russia
By early 2015, all Russian nuclear power plants(operating and under construction) are branches of Rosenergoatom Concern. Crisis phenomena in the industry with difficulties and losses were overcome. By early 2015, 10 nuclear power plants are operating in the Russian Federation, 5 ground and one floating station are under construction.
List of Russian NPPs in force at the beginning of 2015:
- Beloyarsk (the beginning of operation - 1964).
- Novovoronezh Nuclear Power Plant (1964).
- Kola Nuclear Power Plant (1973).
- Leningrad (1973).
- Bilibinskaya (1974).
- Kursk (1976).
- Smolenskaya (1982).
- Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant (1984).
- Balakovskaya (1985).
- Rostov (2001).
The Russian nuclear power plants under construction
- Baltic NPP, the city of Neman in the Kaliningrad Region. Two units based on VVER-1200 reactors. Construction started in 2012. Start-up in 2017, reaching the designed capacity in 2018.
It is planned that the Baltic NPP will export electricity to the countries of Europe: Sweden, Lithuania, Latvia. Sale of electricity in Russia will be through the Lithuanian energy system.
- Beloyarsk NPP-2, Zarechny of the Sverdlovsk Region, on the current site. One unit is based on the BN-800 reactor. Initially planned for 2014, the launch was shifted due to shortages from Ukraine in connection with the political events of 2014.
- Leningrad NPP-2, Pine Forest of the Leningrad Region. Four-block station based on VVER-1200 reactors. It will be replacing for Leningrad NPP (Leningradskaya). The first block is planned to be introduced in 2015, the next one - in 2017, 2018, 2019. respectively.
- Novovoronezh NPP-2 in the city of Novovoronezh of the Voronezh region, not far from the current one. It will be replacing, it is planned to build four units, the first - on the basis of VVER-1200 reactors, the following - VVER-1300. The beginning of an output on design productivity - in 2015 (on the first block).
- Rostov (see above).
World Nuclear Energy: An Overview
In the European part of the country almost allNPP of Russia. The map of the planetary location of nuclear power plants shows the concentration of objects in the four following regions: Europe, the Far East (Japan, China, Korea), the Middle East, Central America. According to the IAEA, in 2014 there were about 440 nuclear reactors.
Nuclear power plants are concentrated in the following countries:
- in the United States, nuclear power plants generate 836.63 billion kWh / year;
- in France - 439.73 billion kWh / year;
- in Japan - 263.83 billion kWh / year;
- in Russia - 160.04 billion kWh / year;
- in Korea - 142.94 billion kWh / year;
- in Germany - 140.53 billion kWh / year.
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