The Second Boom Phase

The first boom phase established nuclear energy as one of the main sources of electricity in the expanding Soviet energy system. Two main reactor types were at focus: VVER-440s (in its two main versions) and RBMK-1000s. Towards the end of the 1970s, then, the nuclear industry gained even more momentum and political support. ¹⁵⁷ Stagnation in coal and oil production from around 1977 accentuated this strategy. ¹⁵⁸ As large funds were channeled to nuclear construction, the new VVER-1000 reactor type became the most important vehicle of expansion. From a geographical point of view, this was linked both to the erection of more reactor blocks at already existing NPP sites and to the creation of new nuclear sites. We will refer to this rapid growth, which eventually came to an end after the catastrophe at Chernobyl in April 1986, as the “second boom phase.” It led to a significant territorial growth of “VVER land,” while “RBMK land” grew much more slowly (Maps 8.1 and 8.2 below). Even the VVER projects, however, featured delays and technical problems that threatened to disrupt the boom. An impressive number of new nuclear projects were initiated, but many of these faced stagnation along the way. A large number of plants would never be completed.