BN-350 reactor


The BN-350 was a sodium-cooled fast reactor located at Aktau Nuclear Power Plant.
The power plant was located in Aktau, Kazakhstan, on the shore of the Caspian Sea.
Construction of the BN-350 fast breeder reactor began in 1964, and the plant first produced electricity in 1973.
In addition to providing power for the city, BN-350 was also used for producing plutonium and for desalination to supply fresh water to the city.
The project lifetime of the reactor officially finished in 1993, and in June 1994, the reactor was forced to shut down because of a lack of funds to buy fuel.
By 1995, the plant's operating license had expired.
The facility continued to operate far below capacity until reactor operations ceased in 1999, when plutonium-bearing spent fuel stopped being produced.