Russia has put its first VVER-1200 unit, Leningrad II-1, through a series of load following trials. The mandatory trials help confirm performance of the power plant. The plant's owner and operator, Rosenergoatom, cycled the output of the 1101 MWe pressurised water reactor from 100% to 75% and back again five times. Next came five cycles between 100% and 50% power.

The Chinese shipbuilder Wison Heavy Industry will provide the hulls for the Cape Nagloynyn floating nuclear power plant, according to a report by TASS. The rated power of the plant has also dropped since its first announcement.

The Volgodonsk branch of AEM Technologies has started assembling the upper part of the reactor pressure vessel for unit 5 of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant under construction in India. Two Russian-designed AES-92 VVER-1000 pressurised water reactors are being built as the third phase of the plant in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.

The world's only nuclear powered cargo ship yesterday set sail from the Russian port of St Petersburg laden with a cargo of components destined for the Rooppur nuclear power plant under construction in Bangladesh. The NS Sevmorput, which is operated by Rosatom enterprise Atomflot, is transporting the 1400 tonne cargo - described as mainly comprising "metal structures and mechanisms" - to the port of Vladivostock.

The first of four steam generators has been delivered to the Kursk-II 1 construction project, Russia's first VVER-TOI reactor unit. The reactor is scheduled to begin operating in late 2022, with a second VVER-TOI unit at the site expected to start up the following year.

Grid development in Russia's Far East will create more opportunities for nuclear energy, Deputy Energy Minister Yevgeny Grabchak said, noting that plans for a new nuclear power plant in Primorsky are being drawn up.

Construction has advanced at Russia's Kursk II-1 with the installation of the fourth inner containment ring and the start of work on the polar crane.

Rosatom's scientists have developed a new, highly accurate digital model of the public impacts of radiation releases. They said its results highlight the "conservatism" of nuclear plant design and can enable better economics.

Russia has set a target of 2060 to reach net-zero carbon dioxide emissions, President Vladimir Putin has told Russian Energy Week 2021. Counting nuclear exports as contributing towards global decarbonisation and saying Germany's phase out "does not make any sense", he said that he thinks energy system decisions should be made by experts.

Atomenergomash of Russia has forged the bottom part of the reactor pressure vessel for the Akkuyu 3 reactor, construction of which is about to start in Turkey. The impressive dome-shaped steel component weighs about 64 tons.

Nuclear power is the required energy source for development of the Russian gold deposit at Kyuchus, the country's minister of natural resources and the environment, Alexander Kozlov made clear as the deposit's development rights were auctioned. The small reactor planned for Ust-Kuyga will supply the mine.

Russia has developed a new process line for  manufacturing the zirconium sponge needed for nuclear fuel assemblies. A new facility to make the substance has been launched by Rosatom subsidiary TVEL at its Chepetsky Mechanical Plant.