OREANDA-NEWS. Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant (LNNP) is to take over completely the management of the Leningrad Phase II nuclear power plant construction project in western Russia by the end of October. Rosenergoatom, which operates all of Russia's civil nuclear power plants, ordered the change on 17 April that involves transferring the functions of Leningrad II Construction Directorate to LNPP.

The move means that LNPP will operate as a single entity responsible for construction, preparation for start-up and the subsequent operation of the new VVER units, as well as the operation and future decommissioning of the RBMK units already at the site. It will lead to more efficient use of available resources, better investment planning and improved liaison with companies involved in the project, Rosenergoatom said.

The new single management structure at LNPP is to be headed by the first deputy director for construction of replacement capacity, as well as the chief engineers for units in operation and those under construction. All the technical services currently subordinate to the chief engineer of Leningrad II will be joined to LNPP. Redundancies as a result of the change will not exceed 70 workers, Rosenergoatom said.

Sergei Naryshkin, chairman of the State Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament, visited the Leningrad II construction site on 17 April. Rosenergoatom general director Evgeny Romanov introduced the politician to the advanced technologies at Leningrad II, which he described as the "flagship" of the country's nuclear power industry.
Leningrad Phase II is a new nuclear power plant adjacent to the existing Leningrad nuclear plant site. Two 1200 MWe AES-2006 design units are being built there, with two further AES-2006 units planned.

Sergey Prokhorov, Leningrad II chief engineer for capital construction, said on 20 April that construction work was 32 days ahead of schedule. But the head of the project has said commissioning of all four of the planned units may be delayed by a year.

Yuri Galanchuk made the remark at a meeting in February with local government officials in Sosnovy Bor, an area of Leningrad Oblast where the new plant is under construction. The meeting was reported by local magazine Mayak.

First criticality of unit 1, scheduled for the end of 2015, may be postponed by a year, Galanchuk said. Startup of unit 2 is planned for 2017 but may be delayed until unit 1 of the existing Leningrad nuclear power plant has been withdrawn from service, which is expected in 2018. Startup of units 3 and 4 of the new plant is planned for 2020 and 2021, respectively, but may also be delayed, he said.