Russia updates generation plans to 2030

The total new nuclear capacity planned by Russia appears to be unchanged in an updated general scheme for future power generation approved by the Russian government, although the timescale of the projection has been increased to 2030 rather than 2020. The updated scheme, announced by Russia's energy minister Sergei Shmatko in a ministerial press release, includes changes based on updated electricity consumption forecasts to 2020, which see the overall consumption figures going down. To meet demand, Russia is planning to introduce 173 GWe of new generating capacity, including 43.4 GWe of nuclear by 2030. A total of 78 GWe of new capacity is to be realised by 2020 under the updated plan; previously, 186.1 GWe was predicted in the same timescale. Some 16.5 GWe of nuclear capacity is earmarked for decommissioning by 2030. There are currently 32 power reactors in operation in Russia, with a combined capacity of some 23 GWe. In 2009, the country's nuclear reactors generated some 152.8 terawatt-hours (TWh), accounting for almost 18% of Russia's total electricity production.