OREANDA-NEWS. July 24, 2009. Beloyarsk Nuclear Power Plant reduced the capacity of its 3rd unit from 600MW to 400MW so as to be able to repair its pipeline. This equipment has nothing to do with the reactor and is generally used by all power plants.

As soon as the repair is completed the capacity of the unit will be restored.

Beloyarsk NPP is operating safely and efficiently. The radiation background at the plant and in its nearby area is within norm.

Beloyarsk Nuclear Power Plant is Russia’s only nuclear power plant having different types of reactors: the 1st unit with AMB-100 thermal reactor was launched in Apr 1964. For the moment, the 1st and 2nd units are being decommissioned.

Since Apr 1980 Beloyarsk NPP has operated the world’s only commercial fast-breeder reactor – BN-600 (600MW). The BN-800 reactor (800MW) is under construction and is supposed to be launched in 2012.

Fast-breeder reactors are supposed to enlarge the fuel resources of Russia’s nuclear industry by over 50 times, to minimize the production of radioactive waste and to use the spent nuclear fuel produced by other NPPs due to closed fuel cycle technology.

TACIS is the EU’s program of Technical Assistance for the Commonwealth of Independent States. It was launched in 1991. One of its priorities is technical assistance in the field of nuclear safety. Most of the TACIS projects are near completion. 12 TACIS projects have been launched at Beloyarsk NPP so far. 10 of them have already been completed.