BILIBINSAKYA NUCLEAR-POWER-PLANT - 23 YEARS OPERATION IN THE SPECIFICCONDITIONS OF THE RUSSIAN FAR NORTHEAST

The Bilibinskaya Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) is situated near the town of Bilibino in the Chukotsk Autonomous District. BNPP has been in oper ation from early 1974 and has proved to be a highly efficient use of n uclear power in the far north-east conditions of Russia. BNPP is desig ned as a nuclear heat and power co-generation plant. Specific features of the location required solving many unique and difficult technical problems. The correctness of these solutions has been confirmed by ope rational experience. BNPP consists of four power units of the same typ e. The rated electric capacity of the plant is of 48 MW with simultane ous heat production of 78 MW. The capacity factor of BNPP was about 85 % and the availability factor was about 90-92% during the period of st ability in Russian economics (up to 1991). At that time the electric p ower prime cost was 1.3-1.5 times lower than that from organic fuel po wer sources located in the most favorable conditions (in terms of orga nic fuel cost) for this region on the Arctic Ocean coast. The heat pri me cost was 2-2.5 times lower than that in Bilibino's heating plant th at was fuelled by imported organic fuel. At present this difference ha s increased even more in favor of BNPP. Analysis of accidents to the s afety systems operations and their failure has revealed 'inherent' saf ety features of the plant. It is ensured by a combination of the follo wing factors: negative feedback of physical characteristics; natural c oolant circulation; tubular fuel elements in contact with the graphite moderator whose thermal capacity is considerably higher than that of the fuel elements; a considerable margin in graphite moderator and fue l elements working temperature as compared to that at which a bulk los s of tightness of the external fuel element cladding occurs; and relat ively small dimensions of the core. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.