Status and further development of nuclear power plants with WWER in Russia

Nuclear electricity production in some European countries is based partially or wholly on NPPs with water-cooled water-moderated power reactors (WWERs) of Soviet design. Although only about a quarter of all the WWER units are in operation now in Russia, the country remains responsible, to a certain degree, for supporting the vitality of this well-proven line and its further development. Research work is consecutively carried out and measures are taken in the WWER-based NPPs to improve their safety and cost-effectiveness indices. Nearly constructed WWER-1000/320 units are expected to be commissioned in the Kalinin and Rostov NPPs in the coming years. A new generation of NPPs extensively using passive safety systems are at the final stage of development and are due to be started up after the year 2000. (orig.)