The contract for the new-build project was signed on 14 June. The Russian Federal Atomic Energy Agency (Rosatom) said that 130 billion roubles ($5 billion) of public funds would be budgeted for the plant.

Novovoronezh Phase 2 would host two VVER pressurized water reactors (PWRs) of around 1200 MWe each and be located near to the existing Novovoronezh plant, which itself has five PWRs. Currently, Novovoronezh 4 and 5 are operating; unit 3 is undergoing refuelling, turbine and steam generator maintenance; and units 1 and 2 are being decommissioned. Units 6 and 7 were planned but never came into being.

The new reactors are slated for completion in 2012 and 2013, according to Rosatom. They will be the first in the Russian state’s plan to increase nuclear power to provide 23% of electricity, up from 17% now. The other lead project in the program is Leningrad Phase 2, which would also see two reactors constructed simultaneously. Contract announcements on that are expected in coming weeks.

Officials want two reactors come online each year between 2011 and 2014 and then three per year from then until 2020. The program as a whole is expected to cost $55 billion, with $26 of that coming from the public purse, world-nuclear-news.org reported.