Balakovo nuclear power station (Russian: Балаковская АЭС, romanized: Balakovskaya AES [pronunciation]) is located in the city of Balakovo, Saratov Oblast, Russia, about 900 kilometres (560 mi) south-east of Moscow. It consists of four operational reactors; a fifth unit is still under construction. Owner and operator of the nuclear power station is Rosenergoatom.

Balakovo NPP participates in a twinning program between nuclear power stations in Europe and Russia; since 1990 it has been in partnership with Biblis Nuclear Power Plant.

The Balakovo Nuclear Power Plant has four operating units:

Unit	Reactor type	Net capacity	Gross capacity	Construction started	Electricity grid	Commercial operation	Shutdown
Balakovo-1	VVER-1000/320	950 MW	1,000 MW	1980-12-01	1985-12-28	1986-05-23	2045 planned
Balakovo-2	VVER-1000/320	950 MW	1,000 MW	1981-08-01	1987-10-08	1988-01-12	2043 planned
Balakovo-3	VVER-1000/320	950 MW	1,000 MW	1982-11-01	1988-12-25	1989-04-08	2048 planned
Balakovo-4	VVER-1000/320	950 MW	1,000 MW	1984-04-01	1993-05-12	1993-12-22	2053 planned
Balakovo-5	VVER-1000/320	950 MW	1,000 MW	1987-04-01	-	-	Construction suspended 1992-12-28
Balakovo-6	VVER-1000/320	950 MW	1,000 MW	1988-05-01	-	-	Construction suspended 1992-12-28

In 2018 Rosatom announced it had developed a thermal annealing technique for reactor pressure vessels which ameliorates radiation damage and extends service life by between 15 and 30 years. This had been demonstrated on unit 1.

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  Interior View
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  Steam Turbine Maintenance
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  Reactor under Construction
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  Aerial View
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  Distribution Station
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  Control Room
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  Steam Generator Transport
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  Unit 5 Construction

On 27 June 1985 during startup of the first reactor unit, a human error (later attributed to inexperience and haste) unexpectedly opened a pressurizer relief valve, and 300 °C (572 °F) steam caused an explosion of the turbine and entered the staff work area. Fourteen people were killed. This event is cited as one of the predecessors of the Chernobyl disaster.

• Nuclear power in Russia

• Balakovo NPP site – website in English
• Rosenergoatom – website in Russian and English
• Bellona Foundation, Balakovo NPP – International environmental organization