Russia's Novovoronezh NPP Publishes 2025 Environmental Safety Report

Russia's Novovoronezh Nuclear Power Plant recently released its 2025 environmental safety report to the public. The presentation of the report was arranged during navigation activities on the Don River, with participation from plant representatives, representatives of the Russian Ecological Society, personnel from relevant public institutions of Voronezh Oblast, environmental experts, journalists, and bloggers.

The report focuses on the plant's impact on the surrounding environment and monitoring activities. According to Novovoronezh NPP, the plant conducts monthly water quality inspections at 24 control points along the Don River, most of which are located within urban areas. During the event, staff also demonstrated the water sampling process from the Don River at the plant's dedicated pier and provided explanations on environmental and radiation monitoring issues.

According to the information provided, the Novovoronezh NPP laboratory conducts more than 55,000 analytical studies annually. There are 33 automated monitoring points across Voronezh Oblast that track key environmental parameters in real time, with all relevant data submitted to regulatory authorities.

In 2026, Novovoronezh NPP signed a water use contract with the Ministry of Natural Resources of Voronezh Oblast, covering the abstraction of water resources within the left bank of the Don River. Under the planned water intake schedule, the plant will pay more than 400 million rubles to the regional budget this year, with the contract valid until 2030.

Novovoronezh NPP stated that over 62 years of environmental monitoring in its area of operation, all environmental indicators have met established standards and requirements. The plant is also the only industrial enterprise in Voronezh Oblast that publishes an annual environmental safety report and has presented it in a public format for two consecutive years.

Novovoronezh NPP is Russia's first nuclear power plant to use VVER-type pressurized water reactors. Located on the banks of the Don River, approximately 45 km south of Voronezh, it provides electricity to Voronezh Oblast. A total of seven VVER units have been built and commissioned at the Novovoronezh site, with four units currently in operation. Among them, Unit 3 is a VVER-440 unit, Unit 5 is a VVER-1000 unit, and Unit 6 is a VVER-1200 unit.

Units 1 through 5 of the plant were commissioned in 1964, 1969, 1971, 1972, and 1980, respectively. Units 1 and 2 were shut down in 1984 and 1990, respectively, and Unit 3 was shut down in 2016. After modernization, Unit 4 received approval for extended operation in December 2018. Since 2007, the plant has been constructing two Generation "3+" units under the "AЭС-2006" project, namely Units 6 and 7; Unit 6 was put into operation in February 2017, and Unit 7 was put into operation in October 2019.