Literally a few kilometers from the city of Balakovo (Saratov region), the Balakovo nuclear power plant operates. This enterprise is the largest in our country. The annual generation of electrical energy is more than 30 billion kWh. And this is a quarter of the total amount produced in the Volga Territory. In the world ranking of nuclear power plants, it occupies 51 positions.
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, unit 4 was the first to be launched on the territory of the former USSR after its collapse. Today, the nuclear power plant belongs to Rosenergoatom Concern JSC. The enterprise employs 3,770 people.
Information about power units
All power units of the VVER-1000 type enterprise, with a double-circuit thermal scheme, are separate structures and consist of the following rooms:
- engine room;
- reactor department;
- deaerator shelf;
- room for electrical equipment.
All equipment related to the primary circuit is located together with the reactor in a reinforced concrete shell, which is hermetically sealed and sheathed with steel, that is, it is undercontainment. The capacity of each unit is 950 MW.
According to the project, the Balakovo NPP was supposed to have 6 power units, but the construction of two was suspended in 1992.
Operating units scheduled to close in 2023, 2033, 2034 and 2045.
Location
The nuclear power plant is located 8 kilometers from the city of Balakovo and 150 km from Saratov. The closest to the station is the village of Natalino, just 3 kilometers to the south-west. The State Forest Belt is 3 kilometers away, followed by irrigated fields.
Address of Balakovo NPP: 413866, Saratov region, city of Balakovo.
Reservoir and cooling pond
Balakovskaya NPP is located on the left bank of the Saratov reservoir. It is one of the largest on the Volga River and was formed due to the construction of the Saratov hydroelectric dam. 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, the Saratovskaya negatively affects the spawning of sturgeon fish and is an object for the accumulation of environmentally harmful products of human activities.
At the nuclear power plant there is a cooling reservoir, the area of which is 26.1 sq. km. The approximate volume of the water mass is 150 million cubic meters. Like any other closed body of water, a pondthe cooler of the Balakovo NPP has problems with the concentration of the s alt composition. Water quality is constantly deteriorating due to high salinity, therefore, there is always a question about blowing. This problem is urgent for all nuclear power plants, and the process of blowing through the reservoir was laid in the Balakovo project. But the builders actually did nothing, and the reservoir was built in such a way that it could ensure the operation of 5 power units, so the question of the concentration of s alts in the pond appeared only in 2005.
Naturally, the local population is against blowing, because harmful substances will get into the Saratov reservoir, where water for municipal needs is taken from, especially since water is withdrawn for urban needs downstream, after about 5-6 kilometers. Yes, and direct blowing of cooling ponds is still prohibited by law, although power engineers have already been frequent in the Duma, trying to promote the introduction of amendments to the Water Code. Later, power engineers abandoned the idea of direct blowing in the Balakovo Pond, but for how long is unknown.
Accidents at the plant
Despite the bold assurances of the management that the enterprise is safe and there are no malfunctions, nevertheless, information about breakdowns and accidents at the Balakovo NPP has repeatedly appeared in the media:
| 1985 | In the process of commissioning, an accident occurred at 1 power unit. Then 14 people died |
| 1990 | Due to the fault of the staff, in an emergencythe third power unit was shut down |
| 1992 | The third reactor was shut down due to a fire. In the same year, an explosion occurred at the 1st power unit, so it was stopped |
| 1993 | Fire at the plant |
| 1997 |
Radioactive contamination occurred in the engine room. Cause - damage to the steam generator |
| 2003 | Accident at 1 reactor, radiation level not increased |
| 2004 | The second power unit was stopped, as there was a leak of clean water, which was intended to power the steam generator. At that moment, information appeared in the local media that a massive radiation leak had occurred. Against the backdrop of false reports, due to panic, some people began to intensively use iodine intended for external use internally and became poisoned by it. According to some reports, 10 people were injured, according to others 3. |
| 2007 | 1 block was stopped, no increase in background radiation was observed. In May of the same year, blocks 3 and 4 were turned off, as a result of which the electrical equipment failed. |
| 2010 | Due to hurricane winds, 2 power lines and 4 power units had to be shut down |
Conclusion
I would like to believe that all the achievements of nuclear power plants in the field of operational safety are not declarative. After allthe enterprise has already received the award for the best performance in the field of safety culture 7 times.
