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Russia receives one more operating power unit

The fourth power unit of the Kalinin NPP became the 33rd reactor operating in Russia

UDOMLYA (Tver Region), September 25 (Itar-Tass) —— Russia has received one more operating nuclear power unit. From now on, 33 nuclear power units are operating at Russia’s ten nuclear power plants. The fourth power unit of the Kalinin NPP became the 33rd reactor operating in Russia. It was officially commissioned in the town of Udomlya of the Tver Region on Tuesday.

“The start-up of the power unit means that we revived the serial construction of nuclear power units for NPPs in Russia and that this is the first reactor, which was constructed in modern Russia from the ground up,” Director General of the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation Sergei Kiriyenko told a ceremony.

In his words, the power unit was put into full operation a month before it was initially planned, which made it possible to save seven billion roubles (USD 1 = RUB 31.16), or ten percent of the project fund.

While addressing the plant’s staff, Kiriyenko stated that construction works at the NPP will not be completed with the commissioning of the fourth power unit. In the near future, the state corporation plans to start upgrading of the first and the second power units in order to extend their service life.

Touching upon Russia’s most topical plans for the launching of power units inside and outside the country, Kiriyenko stated that three new reactors are planned to be start-up in Russia in 2014. Besides, the first power unit at Iran’s Bushehr NPP is expected to be commissioned at the end of the year, while a power unit at India’s Kudankulam NPP will be prepared for the start-up.