Kola nuclear power station. External view of the Kola nuclear power station, Russia. The four VVER pressurised light water reactors at Kola were opened between 1973 and 1984. They produce 1644 megawatts of electricity each. VVER reactors use the break-up (fission) of atoms in their uranium fuel to create heat. The fuel is cooled by pressurised water which circulated between the reactor and a heat exchanger. In the heat exchanger the pressurised water heats water in a secondary circuit to form steam. This steam drives turbines to generate electricity before being cooled, condensed and passed back into the heat exchanger.