Literally a few kilometers from the city of Balakovo (Saratov Region), the Balakovo NPP is operating. This enterprise is the largest in our country. The annual output of electric energy is more than 30 billion kW / h. And this is a quarter of the total value produced in the Volga region. In the world ranking, nuclear power plants occupy 51st position.
General characteristics of the energy complex
The first power unit of the Balakovo NPP was launched in 1985, the last in 1993. By the way, the 4th unit was the first to be launched on the territory of the former USSR after its collapse. Today, the nuclear power plant is owned by Rosenergoatom Concern JSC. The company employs 3,770 people.
Unit Information
All power units of a VVER-1000 type enterprise with a double-circuit thermal circuit are separate structures and consist of the following premises:
- engine room;
- reactor compartment;
- deaerator whatnot;
- room for electrical equipment.
All equipment that relates to the primary circuit is located together with the reactor in a reinforced concrete shell, which is sealed and sheathed with steel, that is, under the containment. The power of each unit is 950 MW.
According to the design, the Balakovo NPP was supposed to have 6 power units, but the construction of two was suspended in 1992.
Operating units are scheduled for closure in 2023, 2033, 2034 and 2045.
Location
The nuclear power plant is located 8 kilometers from the city of Balakovo and 150 kilometers from Saratov. The closest to the station is the village of Natalino, just 3 kilometers southwest. At 3 kilometers is the State Forest Belt, followed by irrigated fields.
Address of Balakovo NPP: 413866, Saratov Region, Balakovo city.
Reservoir and cooling pond
Balakovo NPP is located on the left bank of the Saratov reservoir. It is one of the largest on the Volga River and was formed by the construction of the dam of the Saratov hydroelectric station. The reservoir was filled with water from 1967 to 1968. The total surface area of the reservoir is 1831 square kilometers, the maximum depth is 8 meters. The reservoir was created specifically for industrial use, the energy industry and public water supply. Naturally, like other similar reservoirs, Saratovskaya negatively affects the spawning of sturgeon fish and is an object for the accumulation of environmentally harmful products of human activity.
At the nuclear power plant there is a cooling pond, the area of which is 26.1 square meters. km The approximate volume of the water mass is 150 million cubic meters. Like any other closed body of water, the cooling pond of the Balakovo NPP has problems with the concentration of salt composition. Water quality is constantly deteriorating due to high salinity, therefore, constantly there is a question about blowing. This problem is urgent for all nuclear power plants, and the process of blowing the reservoir was laid down in the Balakovo project. But actually nothing was done by the builders, and the reservoir was built with the expectation that it would be able to provide work for 5 power units, so the question of the concentration of salts in the pond appeared only in 2005.
Naturally, the local population is against the purge, because harmful substances will enter the Saratov reservoir, where water is taken for communal needs, especially since water is taken downstream for urban needs after about 5-6 kilometers. Yes, and by law, direct purging of cooling ponds is still prohibited, although power engineers have often been sent to the Duma, trying to advance the amendment of the Water Code. Later, power engineers abandoned the idea of direct blowing in the Balakovsky pond, but for how long, it is not known.
Accidents at the enterprise
Despite the bold assurances of the management that the enterprise is safe and there are no malfunctions, nevertheless, the media repeatedly appeared information about breakdowns and accidents at the Balakovo NPP:
1985 year | In the process of commissioning, an accident occurred at 1 unit. Then 14 people died |
1990 year | Due to the fault of personnel, the third power unit was emergency shutdown |
1992 year | The third reactor was shut off due to a fire. In the same year, an explosion occurred at Unit 1, so it was stopped |
1993 year | Fire at the enterprise |
1997 year | Radioactive contamination occurred in the engine room. The reason is damage to the steam generator |
2003 year | Accident at 1 reactor, radiation level not increased |
2004 year | They stopped the second power unit, as there was a leak of clean water, which was intended to power the steam generator. At that moment, local media reported that a severe radiation leak had occurred. Against the background of false messages, due to panic, some people began to intensively use iodine intended for external use inside, and were poisoned by it. According to some reports, 10 people were injured, according to others 3. |
2007 year | Block 1 was stopped, no increase in radiation background was observed. In May of that year, blocks 3 and 4 were turned off, so electrical equipment failed. |
2010 year | Due to the hurricane wind, I had to disconnect 2 power lines and 4 power units |
Conclusion
I would like to believe that all the achievements of nuclear power plants in the field of operational safety are not declarative. After all, the company has already won 7 times the prize for the best performance in the field of safety culture.