Russia's first radioactive waste reprocessing plant opens at Balakovo nuclear power station

A radioactive waste reprocessing plant was opened at the Balakovo nuclear power station yesterday. According to Rosenergoatom's press centre, the plant, which is the first of its kind in Russia, has already been granted an operating license. The license was awarded in the last quarter of 2002. The plant is currently operating in trial mode.

The plant, which was built in partnership with German firm RWE NUKEM, will reprocess solid radioactive waste produced by the Balakovo power station's 4 VVER-1000 reactor blocks, as well as waste that has accumulated in storage. The process will include collecting and sorting waste according to reprocessing requirements, transporting waste to the reprocessing facilities and furnaces, waste compression and cementing.