Obninsk plant: World's 1st nuke power plant turns sixty

June 24, 2014

Obninsk Nuclear Power Plant– world’s first nuclear power plant which epitomized the peaceful use of nuclear technology, particularly during the Cold War era, turned 60 on June 26. The plant is located in a village called Pyatkino in Obninsk city, some 150 kms from Moscow, Russia.
It was unveiled on June 26, 1954. India’s then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, who strongly voiced for India’s peaceful use of nuke energy, had visited the Obninsk plant.
Igor Kurchatov who is known as “the father of the Soviet Atomic Weapons Programme” played a key role in the establishment of this plant.
The 5 MW plant used to provide electricity to the town. But with the advancement of nuclear technology not only by Russia, but also by other nations, the reactor became economically unviable and therefore it was shut down in 2002. Although the plant functioned well, its main objective was to use it for experimental purposes like research in medicine and space.