Russia launches its first floating nuclear power plant - TomoNews
- 6 years ago
RUSSIA AND THE ARCTIC — A massive floating nuclear power plant is now on its way to an Arctic port, after Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom launched the nuclear plant over the weekend.
Russian officials say the Akademik Lomonosov is set to become the first series of floating nuclear power plants Russia plans to develop.
The portable plant is not self-propelled and must be towed to the desired location. It is designed to provide energy to port cities and offshore gas and oil-extracting platforms.
The floating nuclear power plant will be towed from St. Petersburg and around Norway to a Russian town called Murmansk to take on nuclear fuel. From Murmansk, the $232 million nuclear plant will head to the Arctic to power the oil-industry town of Pevek.
With two nuclear reactors, the nuclear plant will produce up to 70 MW[d] of electricity, enough to power a city of 100,000 inhabitants.
Rosatom says the nuclear plant is designed with the great margin of safety that exceeds all possible threats and makes nuclear reactors 'invincible' for tsunamis and other natural disasters.
Rosatom also added that the floating nuclear plant meets all the requirements of the International Atomic Energy Agency and do not pose any threats to the environment.
Despite such reassurances, Greenpeace nuclear expert Jan Haverkamp told Engadget that having nuclear reactors moving around the Arctic Ocean creates a obvious threat to a fragile environment which is already affected by climate change.
Russian officials say the Akademik Lomonosov is set to become the first series of floating nuclear power plants Russia plans to develop.
The portable plant is not self-propelled and must be towed to the desired location. It is designed to provide energy to port cities and offshore gas and oil-extracting platforms.
The floating nuclear power plant will be towed from St. Petersburg and around Norway to a Russian town called Murmansk to take on nuclear fuel. From Murmansk, the $232 million nuclear plant will head to the Arctic to power the oil-industry town of Pevek.
With two nuclear reactors, the nuclear plant will produce up to 70 MW[d] of electricity, enough to power a city of 100,000 inhabitants.
Rosatom says the nuclear plant is designed with the great margin of safety that exceeds all possible threats and makes nuclear reactors 'invincible' for tsunamis and other natural disasters.
Rosatom also added that the floating nuclear plant meets all the requirements of the International Atomic Energy Agency and do not pose any threats to the environment.
Despite such reassurances, Greenpeace nuclear expert Jan Haverkamp told Engadget that having nuclear reactors moving around the Arctic Ocean creates a obvious threat to a fragile environment which is already affected by climate change.