Site preparations begin for planned Kola NPP-2 units

Ceremony launches preparatory phase

A ceremony held on Wednesday marked the beginning of works to prepare a site for a future nuclear power plant at Kola. The event was attended by the Governor of Murmansk Andrey Chibis, the management of the Kola plant, and representatives from the general contractor, JSC Titan-2.

Officials said the activities underway do not constitute the official start of construction for a nuclear unit, which will come later. Preparatory work will include survey work, design and preparation of a construction base, and ensuring access roads and facilities for the future workforce.

Licensing and reviews precede main construction

The main construction phase is expected to begin after the design is completed, expert reviews have been completed, and the construction licence is received from Rostekhnadzor. Rosatom characterised the milestone as a major project extending beyond the current decade.

Vasily Omelchuk, Director of the Kola NPP, said the plant is building on experience from operating existing facilities, noting established processes and a high level of professionalism. He also linked personnel readiness to training and workforce transitions, saying the project will include training young specialists and transferring employees to new capacities as existing units are decommissioned.

Planned reactor configuration and workforce needs

The plan described by Rosatom is for four new units at Kola II using the VVER-S design. Rosatom describes this as a 600 MWe water-cooled reactor under development, with the first two units scheduled to be built between 2027 and 2037.

Rosatom said the VVER-S approach is intended to replace the existing four Kola units as they reach the end of their operating lives. The existing units are VVER-440 reactors: Units 1 and 2 are V-230 models, and Units 3 and 4 are of the V-213 type. The source states their capacity is 411 MWe and that they were connected to the grid between 1973 and 1984.

Chibis said the construction phase would create over 5,000 new jobs and that operation would require hundreds of highly qualified specialists. He also said commissioning Kola NPP-2 would support industrial enterprises and social infrastructure in the Murmansk Region by helping ensure uninterrupted power supply.