goingcritical:kursk-ii-1Russia · Power reactor

Kursk II-1

Status: Operating critical since May 22, 2025 Reactor status full glossary → Announced Publicly announced — a site and design are proposed, but construction has not begun. Site preparation Early site and civil works are under way; the first safety-related ("nuclear") concrete has not yet been poured. Under construction Formal construction has begun, marked by the first nuclear concrete. Fuel loaded Nuclear fuel has been loaded into the core. The reactor is fuelled but has not yet gone critical. Critical Has reached first criticality — a self-sustaining chain reaction, usually at low power — but is not yet connected to the grid. Grid connected Synchronised to the electrical grid and exporting power for the first time, but still in commissioning and power-ascension testing — not yet in commercial service. Operating In commercial operation — the operator has formally declared the unit in regular commercial service. Shut down Permanently shut down and no longer generating; may be defuelled, undergoing decommissioning, or preserved in place. Canceled Abandoned before completion.

Developer: Rosenergoatom (Rosatom)

Site: Kurchatov, Kursk Oblast

PolandRomaniaBelarusMoscowKatowiceDniproKharkivRostovNizhny NovgorodSamara
Kurchatov, Kursk Oblast51.6750° N, 35.6056° E
Summary:

First VVER-TOI reactor in the world; reached first criticality May 2025, grid-connected 31 December 2025, replacing the Kursk RBMK units

Details

DesignVVER-TOI (VVER-1300/510)
Electrical output1,175 MWe

Milestone history

  1. Announced —
  2. Construction start April 28, 2018
  3. Fuel load —
  4. First criticality May 22, 2025
  5. Grid connection December 31, 2025
  6. Commercial operation May 1, 2026

References

  1. IAEA PRIS, Kursk 2-1
  2. Wikipedia Kursk NPP