Balakovo Nuclear Power Plant, Nuclear power plant in Balakovo, Russia
Balakovo Nuclear Power Plant operates four water-cooled pressurized reactors of the VVER type in Saratov Oblast, together generating electrical capacity for the region. The facility sits on the left bank of the Volga River and uses the waterway to cool its reactor circuits.
Construction began in December 1980 and the first reactor unit connected to the grid in 1985, followed by commercial operation starting in May 1986. The remaining three units came online between 1987 and 1993, making the plant one of the largest in the European part of Russia.
The facility has shaped the cityscape of Balakovo for decades, bringing thousands of specialists to the region who established new residential districts and infrastructure. Today many local families work at the plant or for its suppliers across multiple generations.
Access to the site is restricted to authorized personnel due to strict security regulations, and visitors must apply for official permits weeks in advance. Those interested in nuclear energy can find an information center in the town of Balakovo that provides general insights into the technology.
In 2018 the facility applied a thermal annealing procedure that can extend the service life of reactor pressure vessels by 15 to 30 years. This method heats the metal in a controlled way to reverse material fatigue caused by neutron radiation.
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