Amid conflict, Russia offers floating nuclear power plants tech to friendly nations

PEVEK: Amid ongoing conflict with Ukraine, Russia’s state-owned nuclear energy company Rosatom has come forward to share its technology of floating nuclear power plant (FNPP) with its friendly countries to provide round-the-clock power supply to remote areas. The floating power unit is ‘Akademik Lomonosov’ named after a Russian scientist. It is developed and operated by a power generation company called Rosatom in Pevek, most northern city of Russia and the Arctic port town in the Chukotka region. The town is known for its rich mineral store with a population of around 5000. In winter, the temperatures in the region go down to around -24 degrees Celsius.

ANI visited the FNPP where it witnessed the functioning of the floating nuclear power plant in the extremely cold Siberian region where the Russian side highlighted the benefits it offers by providing energy to remote industrial enterprises, ports, and mining sites.

Locals say that now they get power and heat supply round the year. It could have been possible only because of FNPP that is generating and supplying for residential and commercial purposes in the town.

The town located in the Chukotka region of Russia is equipped with facilities like school, theatre, restaurant, hotel, grocery shop, port, and other facilities for locals to keep availability of supplies and keep them warm even in harsh temperatures of -24 degree Celsius.

Andrey Zaslavskiy, Acting Deputy Director General JSC REA and Acting Director of the Floating Nuclear Power Plant affiliate said that the FNPP is completely safe and has transformed the lives of the region by supplying round-the-clock power supply and round-the-year heat supply.

“It is a reliable energy supply. FNPP is completely designed and made in Russia. It is safe for the environment. We have strict procedures for the disposal of nuclear waste. The entire setup is tsunami and earthquake resistant,” he said.

FNPP is a new generation power source developed on the base of Russian nuclear icebreaker shipbuilding technologies. In 2020, FNPP generated 127.3 (million KWh) of electric power and in 2022 it reached to 194.1 (Million KWh).

It has been informed that daily operations of FNPP save up to four rails cars of coal. There is a system to check radiation levels. It has reduced the carbon imprint in the Arctic areas and boosted underdeveloped artic areas. The FNPP is completely designed and made in Russia.

On being asked about any safety or health hazards to locals in Pevek city, he said that several health surveys have been done on locals in Pevek and it was found safe. There are around 5000 people living in Pevek who are directly or indirectly associated with the mining of gold, copper, Meecury, lithium, and other metals. It has made the lives of locals easy.

The FNPP supplies power to mining sites in Russia’s far east areas that help in the growth and development of the country.

“Rosatom is ready to share the technology with friendly nations that will help in the development and growth of remote areas and cut down dependability on carbon fuel,” said Cherniy Viktor - acting Chief engineer, Floating Nuclear Power Plant (JSC REA).

He said that nuclear waste is safely disposed of as per norms. It is designed for countries that lack the energy grid infrastructure to develop utility-scale renewable energy projects, many of which go on to use gas, diesel, and coal plants instead.

The major priority of the environmental policy of the FNPP is to ensure environmental safety and to reduce the environmental impact in the region, he added. (ANI)

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