NUCLEAR POWER PLANT UNDER CONSTRUCTION, NEAR VORONEZH, USSR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78T05439A000100320087-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 9, 2007
• Sequence Number: 87
• Publication Date: February 25, 1999
• Content Type: REPORT

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Approved For Release 2007/11/09: CIA-RDP78TO5439A000100320087-0
NUCLEAR POWER' PLANT
UNDER CONSTRUCTION,
NEAR VORONEZH, USSR
MINICARD COPY
PIC/R-7/60
AUGUST 1960
Declassification review by NIMA/DOD
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PIC/R-7/60
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INTRODUCTION
A nuclear power plant is under construction on the east bank of the
Don River approximately 24 nautical miles (nm) south of Voronezh, at
51?16'N/39?12'E (see Figure 1). The new town of Novovoronezh, being
built for the personnel associated with the power plant, is located approx-
imately 3 nm north of the plant at 51019'N/39013'E.
The plant reportedly will consist of two 7 water-moderated and water-
cooled reactors with a capacity of 210,000 kw (electrical) each. 1/2/
Reactor fuel will consist of part unenriched uranium dioxide and part
uranium dioxide ach reactor will provide
steam for three 70,000 kw turbogenerators. Upon completion, the power-
station is scheduled to be connected to the unified power system which is
being developed in European USSR. During any shutdowns of the reactor
the nearby power network will supply the needed current. In emergency
situations, storage batteries or a diesel-generator will be used to operate
the reactor's control and safety system and other vital equipment.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
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The Voronezh Nuclear Power Plant appears on good. quality oblique
photography of (see Figure 2). It is located at the site
of the former village of Dukhovskoye. The over-all dimensions of the plant
area are approximately 5,500 by 3,000 feet.
A new road and rail spur connect the plant to Kolodeznaya Station on
the main rail line running south from Voronezh (see Figure 1). The road
and rail' spur pass through the new town of Novovoronezh, located about
3 nm north of the power plant. There are several rail spurs within the
plant area, and it is crisscrossed with - numerous temporary roads and
paths associated with the construction activities. -
Construction of the power plant appears to be well advanced (see Fig-
ure 2). The outer shell of the first turbogenerator, hall is nearing completion
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PIC/R-7/60
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FIGURE 2. OBLIQUE VIEW OF THE VORONEZH NUCLEAR POWER PLANT. The scattered dwellings of either
25X1 end of the plant are remnants of the former village of Dukhovskoye. Date of photography
and considerable -work has been done on the foundations for the first
reactor. Shadow and obliquity hide most of the details of the reactor foun-
t dations, however. Immediately adjacent to these structures, some work
has been done on the foundations for the second reactor building and gene-
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rator hall. The cooling water intake and outlet system is under construction
and a tall exhaust stack has been completed near the first reactor building.
A large area just south of the power plant contains several buildings,
extensive open storage areas and a concrete batch plant (see Figure 3).
Reportedly, many of the construction materials - such as precast concrete
sections, steel roof trusses, and other items - are prefabricated and/or
assembled in this area. 3/
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TABLE OF STRUCTURES
Item No Description
1 Two small unidentified structures, each
2 Tank in an excavation -
3 Probable office building, four stories high, with small stack
4 Probable laboratory and control building, four stories high, with
three vents on roof
5 Unidentified structure
6 - Reactor building under construction -
7 - Location for second reactor, foundations started -
8 Turbo-generator hall, 100 feet high, with monitor roof, under construction
9 Location for second turbo-generator hall, foundations started
10 Cooling water pumping and treatment facility under construction.
Bottom of excavation
11 Cooling water intake pipes
12 Cooling water outlet conduits
13 . Excavation, possible site of retention basin, diameter across top
14 Hip-roofed building
15 Multi-story flat-roofed building,
with lower and narrower extension
16 - Gable-roofed building --
17 Gable-roofed building
18 Gable-roofed building
19 Gable-roofed building
20 Gable-roofed building
21 Gable-roofed building
22 Gable-roofed building
23 Concrete batch plant
24 Possible radioactive waste storage area with one building
and a partially buried tank
25 Multi-story fls.-roofed building
26 Multi-story building
27 Probable administration or support building, T-shaped
28 Probable storage building, gable-roofed
29 Gable-roofed building
30 Steam plant, with adjacent stack
31 Probable storage building, T-shaped
32 Probable storage or shop building
33 Exhaust stack
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PIC/R-7./60
(feet)
50 x 45
20 dia.
165 x 50
165 x 50,
140 x 45
130 x 50
100 x 40
220 x 40
160x40
220 1 40
325 x 40
150140
150 a 40
100a40
60135
45 dia.
130 x 35
140 x 45
bar 140 x 40
stem 75 x 40
115x40
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45 135
90 x 60
bar 140 x40
stem 40x 100
130 x 50
450 high
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There are a number of other buildings in the plant area which probably
serve administrative, storage, and other support functions for the con-
struction activities.
Security provisions appear to be very limited. The only fences present
are those around portions of the storage areas.
Electrical power for the construction activities is supplied through a
power line entering the site from the direction of Novovoronezh. The steam
plant on the site does not appear to produce any electrical power, and is
probably for heating purposes only.
A transformer yard for the nuclear power plant had not been started
at the time of the photography.
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of 1961.
A tall exhaust stack (Item 33), approximately 450 feet high, has been
completed. It appears that the one stack will serve both reactors. -
The layout of the plant, area is shown in Figure 3, and a brief descrip-
tion of the individual facilities -is given in the accompanying table. Item
numbers in the table correspond to numbers on Figure 3. All measurements
are approximate. -
The main buildings of the power plant are, or will be, located at Items
6 through 9. Item 6 is the first reactor building under- construction, and
Item 8 is the first turbogenerator hall, a monitor-roofed building 350 by
120 feet and 100 feet high. The outer shell of the generator hall is nearing
completion. The foundations for the second reactor and generator hall
(Items 7 and 9) have been started adjacent to the first unit. A ground view
of these facilities as of is shown in Figure 4. According to.
reports, the second unit will not be completed until after some operating
experience has been obtained from the first reactor. 1/J5/ These reports
indicate that the first unit is scheduled to be completed in. the latter part
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FIGURE 4. CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY AT THE VORONEZH PLANT. The
foundations for the second generator hall and second reactor building are In the
foreground Date of photography August 1959. .
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FIGURE 5. PART OF WATER INTAKE AND OU
STRUCTION. The intake pipes are approximately
sections of outlet conduit are approximately
August- 7959.-
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YSTEM UNDER CON-
in diameter, and the
Data of photography
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Buildings 3 and 4 probably contain office, laboratory and control facil-
ities. Each building has- four stories and is approximately 165 x 30 feet.
Building 3 has a small stack adjace nt to it and Building 4 has three vents
on the roof.
A large excavation (Item 10) near the bank of the Don River will prob-
ably contain the pumping and treatment facilities for the condenser-cooling
water. The foundations for these facilitie apparently are being laid in the
excavation. Two water pipes are in plac -from the edge of the excavation
to the power plant. The outlet conduits are also in place from the power
plant to an excavation (Item 13) which, when completed, will probably be
used as a retention basin- Extending from this point toward the river are
two parallel earthen embankments which may also serve as a retention
basin. Pipes which will connect the turbogenerators to the main intake
and outlet system have been laid loosely in place. These consist of a set
of four pipes for each turbogenerator, including pipes for the three turbo-
generators which will be installed in the second generator hall. Only one
set of pipes has been connected to the intake and outlet system. Figure 5
shows the water system and the generator hall as they appeared in 25X1
An excavation located approximately 350 feet north of the first gene-
rator hall contains a tank approximately 20 feet in diameter (see Figure 3,
Item 2). The purpose of the tank is unknown, but it could be used for storage
.of radioactive liquid wastes.
An isolated facility (Item 24), which may be for radioactive waste
disposal, is located approximately 4,400 feet southeast of the first reactor
building. The facility contains a gable-roofed building, 60 -x 35 feet, and
a tank, 45 feet in diameter, which appears to be partially buried. A power
line serves the facility, and two open ditches, probably for pipe lines,
extend from the facility toward the main plant area.
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DOCUMENTS
1. Edison Electric Institute, A Report on USSR Electric Power Devel-
opments, 1958-1959, New York, Jan 60 (U)
2. Air, AFCIN IA1. IR 1255571, 20 Feb 59 (U)
3. CIA. F 24 Sep 59 (C)
25X1 4. CIA. 23 Oct -59 (C)
5. CIA. 16 Dec 59 (C)
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PHOTOGRAPHY
Agency
CIA
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Acces.%ion Numbers
401034-401036,
412838-412844,
415453-415455
Aug 59
C
MAPS or CHARTS =
AMS. Series N501-, Sheet NM 37-2 (Voronezh), 2d-.Ed, Oct 58, scale
1:250,000 (U)
REQUIREMENT Prepared in answer to PIC/SI/R-31/60, requesting a
photographic analysis of the Voronezh Nuclear Power Plant, including
dimensions of the main facilities, accompanied by appropriate graphic
aids.
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