A ninth nuclear power reactor is under construction in Europe, following work commencing in Kaliningrad this week.

It is a stand-out project for the Russian enclave: the first to be opened to investment by European utilities; the first intended to export most of its output; and the first to use Western components such as an Alstom-Atomenergomash steam turbine.

The plant will be majority owned by RosEnergoAtom, with 49 per cent available to private investment.

Commercial operation of the first Baltic reactor is slated for 2017, with the second following one year later. The cost of the two 1200 MW reactors was put at $6.8bn in 2009.

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