Obninsk Nuclear Power Plant, Nuclear power plant in Obninsk, Russia.
Obninsk Nuclear Power Plant is a decommissioned atomic facility in the Russian city of Obninsk within Kaluga Oblast. The site consists of a single reactor block with a graphite-moderated design and a water cooling system that enabled electricity generation through steam turbines.
Construction began in 1951 under the direction of Soviet scientists who adapted military reactor technology for civilian purposes. On June 27, 1954, the facility became the world's first atomic power plant to feed electricity into a public grid and remained operational until its shutdown in 2002.
The name Obninsk Nuclear Power Plant stands for the first civilian use of atomic energy, which visitors can trace through exhibits at the on-site museum. The facility shows the technical developments of that era and serves as an educational center for professionals and interested people from around the world.
The site now functions as a museum and research center, with guided tours available by prior arrangement. Visitors should bring valid identification and expect security checks at the entrance, as this remains a former industrial area.
The reactor used a channel design with vertically arranged fuel elements that later became the model for Soviet RBMK reactors. Despite its modest output, it provided valuable insights into the long-term operation of graphite-moderated systems under civilian conditions.
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