en.Wedoany.com Reported - The new units of the Kola Phase II nuclear power plant have obtained a site license, confirming that the selected location on the shores of Lake Imandra in Murmansk Oblast, approximately 10 kilometers south of the existing plant, meets the requirements. According to Rosatom, the general contractor TITAN-2 has begun site preparation, including laying access roads, clearing forests, and constructing a construction and installation base.

Nikolai Rusakov, Deputy Director for Infrastructure at the Kola Nuclear Power Plant, stated that in preparation for the plant's construction, the team is collaborating with the chief designer and general contractor to develop construction techniques, schedules, and safety issues. He expressed confidence that the coordinated efforts of all parties will ensure the timely start of the main construction phase.

According to previous information from Rosatom, the final plan for Kola Phase II is to build four new VVER-S units, a 600 MW water-cooled reactor currently under development. The first two units are scheduled to be completed between 2027 and 2037. If all proposed VVER-S reactors use MOX (mixed oxide) fuel, their natural uranium consumption could be reduced by 50%.

The new units are intended to replace the existing four Kola units, which are VVER-440 reactors, with Units 1 and 2 being V-230 type and Units 3 and 4 being V-213 type. The existing units have a single-unit capacity of 411 MW and were all connected to the grid between 1973 and 1984.

The Kola Nuclear Power Plant is the first nuclear power plant built under harsh Arctic climatic conditions, providing a stable electricity supply to most major industrial enterprises in the northern part of the Republic of Karelia and over half of the energy consumers on the Kola Peninsula.

Plans for additional installed capacity at Kola have undergone several adjustments. The World Nuclear Association noted that a 2012 alternative plan originally involved two VVER-TOI units. In June 2021, the plant management announced plans to begin construction of two VVER-S 600 MW reactors in 2028, with the first unit expected to enter operation in 2034. The "S" stands for spectral shift control, where the primary coolant contains heavy water.