Tatar nuclear power plant

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Other names: Tatarskaya; Kama

Tatar nuclear power plant is a cancelled nuclear power plant in Rajon Nischnekamsk, Tatarstan, Russia.

Project Details

Table 1: Unit-level project details for Tatar nuclear power plant

Unit name	Status	Cancellation year	Nameplate capacity	Reactor type	Model	Owner	Operator
1	Cancelled (inferred May 2024)	2022	1250 MW	Pressurized water reactor	VVER-TOI	Rosatom [100%]	Rosenergoatom
2	Cancelled (inferred May 2024)	2022	1255 MW	Pressurized water reactor	VVER-TOI	Rosatom [100%]	Rosenergoatom
Original 1	Cancelled	1990	950 MW	Pressurized water reactor	unknown	–	Rosenergoatom
Original 2	Cancelled	1990	950 MW	Pressurized water reactor	unknown	–	Rosenergoatom

Table 2: Additional unit-level timeline details for Tatar nuclear power plant

Unit name	Construction start
Original 1	April 1, 1987
Original 2	May 1, 1988

Location

Table 3: Unit-level location details for Tatar nuclear power plant

Unit name	Location	Coordinates (WGS 84)
1	Rajon Nischnekamsk, Tatarstan, Russia	55.4518, 51.2901 (exact)
2	Rajon Nischnekamsk, Tatarstan, Russia	55.4518, 51.2901 (exact)
Original 1	Rajon Nischnekamsk, Tatarstan, Russia	55.4518, 51.2901 (exact)
Original 2	Rajon Nischnekamsk, Tatarstan, Russia	55.4518, 51.2901 (exact)

The map below shows the exact location of the nuclear power plant:

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Background

Plans for construction of the Tatar nuclear power plant were included in Russia’s nuclear energy list in November 2013, for completion by 2030. The most recent plans for this nuclear power plant had included a single VVER-TOI pressurized water reactor.

Construction and Delays

Reports on the Tatar nuclear power plant vary and contain discrepancies about dates for planning and construction, as well as opposition against this project. Construction of a nuclear power plant in the Republic of Tatarstan first began between 1980 and 1985. One source explains that the plant was planned for operation in 1992, and construction was interrupted in 1990. However, another source cites construction termination in 1989. The construction was reportedly canceled in response to mounting public concern for the safety and reliability of nuclear power, as the legacy of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine (in 1986) was still being reckoned with at the time. Also, there was concern over “limestone cavern breaks under the site”. Construction was canceled despite Unit 1 reaching a 70% completion. Locals reported seeing employees moving furniture into the facility, as well as several auxiliary facilities constructed near to Kamskiye Polany, only for these preparations to come to a sudden halt. No nuclear material ever made it to the site, and it has never posed any threat of radiation leaking as a result. The facility was being prepared to operate four VVER-1000 reactors, and produce up to 4,000 megawatts of power. The Tatar nuclear power plant was reportedly one of 15 nuclear power stations that did not reach full operation after construction efforts were shut down. Much of the original structure of the Tatar nuclear power plant has been photographed and recorded by the public.

Construction and Delays

During initial construction efforts of the Tatar nuclear power plant in 1988, investment totaled 288 million Russian rubles. 96 million rubles worth of construction had been completed by the time the project was canceled.

Opposition

Opposition to the Tatar nuclear power plant is twofold. On the one hand, during early construction of a nuclear power plant in the Tatarstan region, some reports speculate that local opposition grew in response to the complications and toll of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine in 1986. Public disapproval across Russia is said to have contributed to the closure of 15 sites across Russia.

On the other hand, there were concerns raised during construction over the material that formed the geological base for the original Tatar nuclear site. The Nuclear Threat Initiative explained in 2008 that further environmental assessment facilitated by the Tatarstan government “must show that there are no tectonic fractures under the construction site if the project is to move forward”. As of December 2022, the results of these examinations are not known.

Articles and Resources

Additional data

To access additional data, including an interactive map of global nuclear power plants, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Nuclear Power Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.