Contract signed for Leningrad II construction

27 March 2008

St Petersburg-based AtomEnergoProekt has signed a 136 billion rouble ($5.8 billion) state contract for the construction of two new nuclear units at Phase II of the Leningrad nuclear power plant. Anatoly Molchanov, first deputy director general-technical director of AtomEnergoProekt, said that Leningrad II can be thought of as analogous in design to China's Tianwan nuclear power plant, which was designed by AtomEnergoProekt and comprises two VVER 1000 pressurized water reactors. "It has enhanced safety parameters and passive safety systems in additional to active safety systems used by Tianwan," he added. The Leningrad plant is currently home to four operating 1000 MWe RBMK reactors, all of which are nearing the end of their operating lives. A construction contract for Leningrad Phase II was signed with AtomEnergoProekt in August 2007 and site licences granted in September 2007. First concrete is scheduled for October 2008, with the first 1170 MWe reactor scheduled for commissioning in October 2013 and the second a year later.