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Russia to accelerate new nuclear plant in its far east

Monday, 23 June 2025

A roadmap has been agreed aiming to select a site, construct and commission two new VVER-1000 nuclear power units by 2035 in Russia's far eastern region of Primorsky Krai, which borders China and North Korea on the Pacific Coast.

Russia to accelerate new nuclear plant in its far east — The foundation pit for the reactor of Leningrad 8 last year, it is part of a growing pipeline of new nuclear units in Russia (Image: Rosatom)

The plan for two Primorskaya Nuclear Power Plant units was included last year in the Russian government's energy development programme to 2042. Rosatom has now approved an indicative project timeline and the government of Primorsky Krai has declared its intent to invest in the project.

Rosatom said: "According to a preliminary analysis of natural conditions, the most promising of the possible locations is a site near the closed administrative-territorial entity of Fokino. The final choice of the site and its justification will be carried out during the development of the justification for investments in the construction of the Primorskaya NPP. Also, by the end of this year, it is planned to hold public hearings on the issue of its placement."

The timeline aims for first concrete for the first unit in December 2027 and commissioning in 2033, with unit 2 following in 2035. Two 500 kV power transmission lines with a total length of 200 kilometres will be connected to them.

The proposed nuclear power plant is seen as part of the country's efforts to accelerate the development of its far eastern region and, Rosatom says, "will not only ensure its stable supply for all categories of consumers, but will also give a powerful impetus to the social and industrial development of the region as a whole, provide thousands of new jobs for the local population for the long term, increase tax revenues to the budget and will promote the activation of private business and entrepreneurship".

Alexei Likhachev, Rosatom's Director General, told the St Petersburg International Economic Forum last week that Russia's future energy plans means that by 2042 there will be "an additional 30 GW of electricity and about 40 units" and it has to be built "in a short period of time - some 17-18 years".

In March last year Rosatom and the government of Primorsky Krai signed an agreement for a feasibility study and location options for floating nuclear power units off its coast, which is about 250 miles across the sea from Japan.