The Bilibino NPP generates about 80% of the electricity generated in the isolated Chaun-Bilibino power system, and is a single source of heat supply to Bilibino.
The conditions of construction, operation and maintenance, and the specific character of the area where the Bilibino NPP is located, predetermined the following requirements for the reactor plant and its equipment:
The thermal power of the reactor plant was selected taking into account the condition that the electric power of one power unit due to the small total power of the Chaun-Bilibino generation center should not exceed 12 MW. A sudden shutdown of such a unit does not cause a "collapse" of the power system. Taking into account the heating steam extraction, the required steam capacity of the reactor plant was set at 95.5 t/h at a feed water temperature of 107°C, which corresponds to the reactor plant’s thermal power 62 MW.
Based on the analysis of structural features, technical and economic indicators and operating experience, it was decided to use channel-type water-graphite reactors with tubular fuel elements in reactor plants at the Bilibino NPP on the basis of improving the designs and heat removal modes of prototypes – reactors of the first NPP (in Obninsk) and the first stage of the Beloyarsk NPP. The conventional name of the reactor is EGP-6 (Energy Heterogeneous Loop Reactor with 6 coolant circulation loops).
The rated output power of the Bilibino NPP is 48 MW with simultaneous heat supply of up to 67 Gcal/h to consumers. When the air temperature drops to –50°C, the NPP operates as heat supplier and reaches a heating capacity of 100 Gcal/h with the generated electric power reduced to 38 MW.
