SOSNOVY BOR, Russia — The Leningrad NPP Unit 6 equipped with Rosatom’s flagship Generation III+ VVER-1200 reactor was connected to the grid and reached the power capacity of 240 MW. VVER-1200 technology of 3+ generation has been chosen for two major NPPs projects in MENA region: El Dabaa NPP in Egypt and Akkuyu NPP in Turkey. “Today, Leningrad NPP Unit 6 was synchronized with the grid for the first time and provided electricity to the Russian unified power system. This is a significant event, both for the power unit itself and for the country. There are two important milestones in the power unit setup process. “One is the first bringing the reactor to a critical state at the minimum-controlled power level when it “awakens”. The second, which is even more important is the first connection to the grid, when the power unit begins to perform its function and produce electricity. “Today, the country received another 1200 MW unit and strengthened its credibility as a leading power in the field of nuclear energy,” Rosatom First Deputy Director General for Operations Management Alexander Lokshin said. “The new power unit was connected to the unified power system and tested at a capacity of 240 MW. The next step is trial operation, when the reactor is tested at up to 100% power capacity. Each stage is accompanied by numerous equipment checks and dynamic operational tests aimed at stimulating shutdown at various power levels,” Director General of Rosenergoatom (Rosatom NPP operating subsidiary) Andrey Petrov said. Before its connection to the grid, the Unit 6 underwent power start-up, which entailed a large number of tests designed to assess readiness of the main equipment and systems to produce both thermal and electric power, as well as a step-by-step increase in thermal capacity from 1% to 35%. Reaching 35% thermal capacity, the turbine generator was connected to the grid and started generating and transmitting electricity to the country’s unified power system. Following the trial operation, the Unit 6 will be shut down for an additional equipment inspection by a state commission before being put into commercial operation scheduled for 2021. — SG