Russia connects commercial 800 Megawatt fast neutron reactor to the grid

Unit 4 of the Beloyarsk nuclear power plant in the Sverdlovsk district of Russia has been connected to the national grid. The BN-800 fast neutron reactor started providing power to the Urals region since Friday, Dec 11, 2015.

To achieve this, the thermal capacity of the reactor was raised to 25% of its nominal capacity and its K-800-130/3000 turbine reached a speed of 3000 rpm. The generator was then synchronized with the electricity grid and the thermal capacity of the reactor was increased to 35% of nominal capacity. The new unit joined the energy system at a minimum power level of 235 MWe.

"A significant event happened today: a new source of nuclear power generation in the Urals," Ivan Sidorov, director of the Beloyarsk nuclear power plant said in a statement yesterday. "On this day the countdown in the energy biography of the new unit began and will henceforth be celebrated as its anniversary. But the start-up phase has not yet been completed [since] there next need to be an increase in capacity to 50%, pilot operation and a gradual increase in capacity to 100%. So we still have a lot of work ahead of us. But the most important milestone in the history of the new power unit has been achieved right now."

The 789 MWe BN-800 Beloyarsk 4 is fuelled by a mix of uranium and plutonium oxides arranged to produce new fuel material as it burns. Its capacity exceeds that of the world’s second most powerful fast reactor – the 560 MWe BN-600 Beloyarsk 3.

Unit 4 of the Beloyarsk plant (Image: Publicatom.ru)