Murmansk governor announces construction start for Kola NPP-2

"We have launched work at the Kola NPP-2 construction site in Polyarnye Zori. The Kola Nuclear Power Plant is the most powerful nuclear plant north of the Arctic Circle. For more than half a century, it has been supplying energy to the Russian Arctic. Now, Kola NPP-2, with a capacity of 1,200 MW, will be built alongside it," Governor Andrei Chibis wrote on his Telegram channel.

According to the governor, the new plant will provide an "energy foundation" for major industrial projects, including the development of mining, new manufacturing facilities, and the resource base of the so-called Trans-Arctic Transport Corridor. He also said the project would create around 5,000 jobs during the construction phase and hundreds of permanent positions once the plant enters service.

However, neither the state nuclear corporation’s website nor its social media channels contained any announcement of the start of construction.

In mid-July, the Barents Observer reported that Rosenergoatom had obtained licences from Russia’s nuclear regulator, Rostekhnadzor, for the siting of Units 1 and 2 of the new plant in the Murmansk region. The licences allow preparatory work at the site, including the construction of access roads, the establishment of construction facilities, site preparation, and tree clearance.

At the time, however, the company stressed that construction of the main facilities would begin only after a separate construction licence had been obtained. Before that can happen, the project design must be completed, undergo state review, and receive the necessary approval from Rostekhnadzor.

Kola NPP-2 is planned to be built around nine kilometres from the existing Kola Nuclear Power Plant, in the Kunchast Bay area. The project envisages four power units equipped with VVER-S reactors, each with a capacity of 600 MW.

The first two units are scheduled to enter commercial operation in 2035 and 2037, followed by the third in 2040 and the fourth in 2043.

The project was previously estimated to cost around 1.5 trillion roubles (€16.4 billion).

The new plant is intended to replace the existing Kola NPP units, which were commissioned between 1973 and 1984 and whose operating lifespans have been extended repeatedly.

The Murmansk regional authorities and Rosatom link the construction of Kola NPP-2 to an expected increase in electricity demand across the region. They anticipate that major future consumers will include mining projects, the development of Murmansk LNG, and infrastructure associated with the Northern Sea Route.