BN-1200 reactor

BN-1200
GenerationGeneration IV
Reactor conceptFast breeder reactor
Statuspreparation stage for construction
LocationZarechny, Sverdlovsk Oblast
Main parameters of the reactor core
Fuel (fissile material)U+Pu nitride fuel
Neutron energy spectrumFast
Primary coolantLiquid sodium
Reactor usage
Power (thermal)2900 MWth
Power (electric)1220 MWe gross

The BN-1200 reactor is a sodium-cooled fast breeder reactor project, under development by OKBM Afrikantov at Beloyarsk Nuclear Power Station in Zarechny, Russia. The BN-1200 is based on the earlier BN-600 and especially BN-800, with which it shares a number of features. The reactor's name comes from its electrical output, nominally 1220 MWe.

The initial BN-1200 project was rejected in 2015 due to the lack of competitive advantage in the market (vs the usual PWR type reactors). By 2024 the design was updated to get it more competitive and now it is called BN-1200M. Since 2022 the rising prices of uranium have made sodium-cooled fast reactors even more attractive.