Russia's floating nuclear power plant is ready to conquer the Arctic

The world's first floating nuclear power plant (NPP) is built by Russia.

The project is expected to provide power to remote areas of Russia in the Arctic.

According to Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Group, at the end of August this year, the floating plant will be towed to the port city of Pevek in the Arctic coast of Chukotka. By December, the nuclear power plant will start supplying energy to Pevek.

The first floating nuclear power plant (NPP) in the world built by Russia is called "Akademik Lomonosov".(Photo: AFP).

Chukotka is one of the most remote areas in Russia, with most of the territory outside the Arctic belt, where poor transport links and permanent snow terrain make it difficult to build large buildings.

Floating nuclear power plants are expected to become one of the key infrastructures in the development of Russia's northern maritime route.

Lomonosov Akademia Plant is said to carry two KLT-40S reactors , capable of producing up to 70 Megawatt electricity and 50 gigacalories per hour of thermal energy. Reactors are upgraded versions of the KLT-40M reactor used in the Taymyr class nuclear-powered icebreakers. A reactor can produce enough electricity and heat to meet the needs of a city with a population of 100,000.

The average operating life of a floating nuclear power plant is 40 years and can last up to 50 years.

After the expiry of the operation, the device can be carried away to replace and maintain the reactor without leaving any hazardous materials for the Arctic.

Akademia Lomonosov became the first product in a project to build a floating nuclear power plant that supplied heat and electricity to remote areas of Russia. Russia also plans to lease equipment to other countries if there is a need to produce electricity or desalinate water, because the floating plant has the capacity to desalinate with a production capacity of 240,000 cubic meters per day.

1. Successfully commissioned the world's first floating nuclear power plant