Russia marks 70th anniversary of world’s first nuclear power plant

Russia on Thursday held a series of ceremonial events in Obninsk (Kaluga region) on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the world’s first nuclear power plant (NPP).

Russian President Vladimir Putin sent greetings to current and retired employees of the Rosatom State Corporation, participants in the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the Obninsk NPP, the first nuclear power plant in the world.

"The launch of the Obninsk NPP marked a significant milestone in the history of civilian nuclear technology, paving the way for the development of the nuclear power industry in our country and beyond its borders,'' said President Putin.

"Over these years, our national nuclear sector has made tremendous progress, with advanced nuclear technologies now creating new opportunities in energy, medicine, in the harmonious development of Arctic territories, our national space programme and in other fields. Moreover, the nuclear sector plays a crucial role in maintaining nuclear parity and enhancing the defence capability of our state,'' he added in a message published by the president's website.

"The Obninsk NPP marks the start of the world nuclear energy industry. The projects of those years laid the foundation for the entire areas that are still the basis for our work, including large and SMR-based NPPs, ship reactors, medical isotopes, and new materials. Today we are looking to new atomic breakthroughs such as the world’s first Gen IV energy unit with closed fuel cycle at the turn of the 30s, transition to a fundamentally different type of energy production - thermonuclear fusion,” noted Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev.

The Obninsk Nuclear Power Plant was put into operation on June 26, 1954, and was phased out in 2002.

WAM