Floating nuclear power plants in Russia are a project of domestic designers to create mobile low-power plants. The state corporation Rosatom, the Baltic Plant enterprises, and a number of other organizations are involved in the development.

Historical reference

At the initial stages of industry development, atomic energy was considered mainly in relation to the military industry. However, over the past few decades, the advantages of mobile sources suitable for operation in remote and undeveloped areas have become increasingly obvious. To a greater extent, the change in priorities was due to the development of civilian nuclear technologies and the installation of reactors on military ships, icebreakers, and submarines.

For the first time, mobile installations began to be used in the United States. They also provided energy for the American research base in Antarctica.

Relatively recently, the media asked the question of whether a floating nuclear power plant would be installed in Crimea. Opinions on this matter vary. However, there have been no statements from the state corporation coordinating the program regarding this issue. Some experts say that a floating nuclear power plant is not needed in Crimea. They explain their position by the fact that such installations are designed for operation in remote, hard-to-reach areas. The peninsula can be supplied in other ways. For example, an energy bridge is being built from the mainland of the country.

Domestic industry

According to the federal target program "Energy Efficient Economy" 2002-2005. and for the future until 2010, a tender was held for the creation of a low-power floating nuclear power plant. In mid-May 2006, the winner was the Sevmash enterprise. The following year, 2007, the administration of the Nizhny Novgorod State Technical University and the Federal Atomic Energy Agency reached an agreement that the institute would act as a base university for training relevant specialists. In 2008, the project coordinators announced that part of the orders for units and components would be transferred to the Baltic Plant. However, the Sevmash plant announced a little later that the floating nuclear power plant would be commissioned 5 months later than planned. In this regard, the entire order was transferred to the Baltic Plant.

Start of construction

As Sergei Zavyalov, deputy head of Rosenergoatom, stated in 2010, the first floating nuclear power plant was created in accordance with the schedule. The installation was planned to be ready at the end of 2012, and commissioning was expected in 2013. In June 2010, the first power unit was launched. This happened at the Baltic plant. But at that time the turbogenerator and reactor were not installed. Installation work was supposed to be carried out on a floating power unit. In September 2011, the project in Pevek received a positive conclusion from the environmental assessment. It is currently at the investment feasibility stage. At the end of September - beginning of October 2013, steam generating blocks weighing 220 tons, produced according to OKBM designs. Afrikantov, were transported to the outfitting embankment from the boathouse of the sixth workshop of the Baltic Plant. There, in the presence of Rosenergoatom representatives, they were loaded into the reactor compartments by a floating crane. In accordance with the terms of the contract, the St. Petersburg plant must deliver the FPU, prepared for transportation to the site of operation, on September 9, 2016. The latest news about the floating nuclear power plant indicates that it should be fully operational in 2018.

Key project

In the series of mobile, transportable low-power installations, the floating nuclear power plant "Akademik Lomonosov" is considered the main one. Its maximum power is more than 70 MW. The installation includes two KLT-40S reactors. The chief designer is JSC "Afrikantov OKBM". The same enterprise is the main manufacturer and supplier of reactor equipment. In particular, it includes pumps, fuel handling units, control and control systems, auxiliary machines, etc. The floating nuclear power plant "Akademik Lomonosov" was created on the basis of a serial installation used in icebreakers, tested over long-term operation in Arctic conditions.

Purpose

Design activities carried out by Rosatom enterprises and research institutes have shown the possibility of constructing energy sources of a qualitatively new class on the basis of already mastered ship reactors. They will be used to produce desalinated water, electricity, domestic and industrial heat. It is planned to distribute floating nuclear power plants with a capacity of 3.5 to 70 or more MW. They are intended to supply port cities, large industrial enterprises, gas and oil production complexes located in the shelf zone.

Specifics

Mobile nuclear power plants are autonomous objects. They are completely created at the shipyard as a non-propelled vessel. Finished units are transported by river or sea to the operation site. The customer receives the object in working condition. Floating nuclear power plants include a complex of living quarters and complete infrastructure that provides accommodation for personnel operating and maintaining the installation. Thus, the manufacturer and supplier complete the order on a turnkey basis. Factory construction ensures maximum reduction of construction time. At the same time, the Russian floating nuclear power plant meets all international requirements for quality and safety.

Advantages

A floating nuclear power plant is best suited for operation in hard-to-reach areas along the banks of rivers or seas, remote from central supply systems. In the Russian Federation, these are primarily the regions of the Far East and the Far North. These regions do not have a unified energy system. Economically viable and reliable sources of supply are needed here. Currently, the need for several dozen low-power stations in these regions is very acute. installations will stimulate economic activity and ensure an adequate standard of living for the population.

Safety

The floating nuclear power plant meets all international environmental requirements. Fuel enrichment does not exceed the maximum level for compliance with the nuclear non-proliferation regime. Since operation is expected in the coastal zone of the world's oceans, the issue of the installation's resistance to the effects of extreme natural factors (tornadoes, tsunamis, etc.) is quite relevant.

OKMB Afrikantov has a complex of innovative technologies, due to which the floating nuclear power plant will withstand any level of dynamic load specified in the project. The layout of the future installation is created with a certain “margin of safety”. It exceeds the maximum possible loads in the operating area. For example, the possibility of a tsunami wave or a collision with a coastal structure or other vessel is provided for. After 40 years of operation, the main power unit of the floating nuclear plant will be replaced with a new one. In this case, the old one will be returned to the processing plant for recycling. During operation and after its completion, there will be no environmentally hazardous waste in the area where the floating vessel was installed. Repairs and fuel reloading will be carried out in the conditions of existing domestic specialized enterprises. They have all the necessary equipment and also employ qualified personnel.

Nuclear expert: floating nuclear power plants. Good catch

Currently, many articles are being published on the topic under consideration. Many of them present some of the developments of a number of leading research and design institutes. For example, in 2015, the concept of scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was highlighted. It is believed that a floating nuclear power plant (a photo of the installation can be seen in the article) is one of the most promising options for supplying settlements with insufficient coastal resources. The concept of the institute combines two fairly well-known technologies. In particular, the design of a deep-sea oil platform is considered.

MOSCOW, November 2 – RIA Novosti. Rosatom has successfully launched the reactor of the first domestic floating nuclear power unit, an industry representative told RIA Novosti.

“The physical start-up of the reactor installation on the starboard side of the Akademik Lomonosov floating power unit took place on Friday. The reactor installation reached the minimum controlled power level at 17:58 Moscow time,” the agency’s interlocutor said.

"Academician Lomonosov"

The floating power unit "Akademik Lomonosov" of project 20870 is the lead project of a series of mobile low-power power units. The power unit was built at the Baltic Shipyard (St. Petersburg). It is designed to operate as part of a floating nuclear thermal power plant (FNPP).

The power unit is suitable for operation in the Far North and Far East. Its main goal is to provide energy to remote industrial enterprises, port cities, and gas and oil platforms on the high seas. The power unit is planned to be put into operation in the port of Pevek in Chukotka in December 2019.

"Akademik Lomonosov" is equipped with two KLT-40S reactor units, which are capable of generating electrical and thermal energy in nominal operating mode, which is sufficient to support the life of a city with a population of about 100 thousand people.

FNPP is designed with a large safety margin, which exceeds all possible threats and makes nuclear reactors invulnerable to tsunamis and other natural disasters. Nuclear processes at the floating power unit meet all IAEA requirements and do not threaten the environment.

The floating nuclear power plant "Akademik Lomonosov" is a project of mobile transport power units of small capacity. This is just the first power unit that will be part of a complete floating nuclear power plant. Already in 2019 it should arrive at the northern port of Pevek. The main purpose of this unit is to replace the Bilibino nuclear power plant and the Chaun thermal power plant.

Purpose

The floating nuclear power plant in Pevek should provide the residents of Chukotka with heat and electricity. The operating Bilibino nuclear power plant and Chaun thermal power plant must be decommissioned, since their service life is coming to an end due to outdated equipment. Of course, it would be possible to build a new nuclear power plant in Chukotka, but due to severe frosts this would be expensive and difficult to do. Instead, a floating nuclear power plant is being built by order of the Russian company Rosatom. This idea lay on the surface, because it is easier to build a power unit under normal conditions than in permafrost. Ready-made blocks can be transported by water to distant cities, moored there and provide local residents with electricity. Also, oil and gas platforms and enterprises can be powered from these power units.

In addition, a floating nuclear power plant is capable of providing residents and businesses with thermal energy, as well as desalinating sea water. It is possible to process from 40 to 240 cubic meters of sea water per day, after which it becomes fresh and suitable for consumption. All this makes it possible to increase the industrial potential of the regions and even attract investment by reducing the cost of electricity.

The ship is like a city

The floating nuclear power plant "Akademik Lomonosov" is a huge ship with the size of a 12-story building and a length of 144 meters. It can be compared to a small city. On the ship, instead of confusing streets, there are labyrinths of corridors; instead of the mayor's office, there is a central post - it is from here that technological processes are controlled. Instead of houses, the ship has comfortable single cabins for staff. There are also offices for the management team.

Also on this floating nuclear power plant there are social facilities: a library, a sports and gym, a sauna, as well as a special press room for communicating with representatives of the press.

There are a total of 96 crew members on the ship, who work in shifts for three months. This operating pattern is standard and is used on many large ships that spend many months at sea.

Cost and project participants

The cost of the first unit of the floating nuclear power plant cost 16.5 billion rubles. This includes everything: construction, equipment, reactor plant, creation of special coastal structures for vessel mooring. If we discard everything unnecessary from this amount, then the price of a “clean” floating power plant will be 14.1 billion rubles. Consequently, 2.4 billion rubles were spent on the construction of hydraulic and coastal structures, which are also necessary to ensure the operation of the vessel.

The following enterprises are participants in the project:

1. The Rosatom company is the customer.
2. Atomenergo is the designer of a floating nuclear power plant.
3. JSC "Baltic Plant" - manufacturer.
4. The production of turbines was undertaken by the Kaluga Turbine Plant.
5. OKBM named after I.I. Afrikantov was responsible for the supply of reactor plants.

Future plans

It is worth noting that the floating nuclear power plant project in St. Petersburg, if successful, becomes very promising. Many countries are waiting for the start of operation of this station in order to determine its effectiveness and feasibility of using it in their country. Back in 2002, Rosatom signed declarations on the construction of floating nuclear power plants for use in Vilyuchinsk (Kamchatka), Dudinka (Taimyr), and Pevek. Also, these “floats” should appear in Yakutia and the Krasnoyarsk Territory.

Safety

Considering the “cargo” on board such a floating station, the safety issue is one of the most pressing. Perhaps it’s worth starting with the fact that the enrichment of the fuel used in the floating power unit does not exceed the level established by the IAEA. Consequently, all stations are created within the narrow framework of international legislation.

The second pressing issue is the stability of the floating installation to natural influences. Tornado, tsunami, strong winds - all this a floating nuclear power plant must withstand. Afrikantov OKBM has technologies for manufacturing nuclear plants that will withstand any natural dynamic loads. These technologies were used to create a floating nuclear power plant. Indirect confirmation of this is the nuclear reactor installations of the Kursk cruiser. They withstood a powerful explosion, and after that ensured the removal of the reactor and maintained it in a safe condition, which is why radioactive substances did not escape into the environment.

Like any other station, a floating power unit is also designed with a safety margin that exceeds the possible loads in the area where the unit is planned to operate. Also taken into account are the loads that could presumably arise as a result of a collision with another ship or coastal structure.

In general, hundreds of ships with nuclear power plants are used in the fleets of Russia, the USA, China, France, and England. Icebreakers, aircraft carriers, cruisers, submarines - many of these ships are equipped with nuclear power plants, and they are based in ports that are located near large cities.

Service

As for repairs and refuelling, all these operations are carried out in Russia with the involvement of specialized enterprises involved in the technological maintenance of nuclear ships. They are composed of qualified specialists, and the companies themselves have the necessary equipment to service ships.

After the power unit has served for 40 years, it will be replaced with a new one. The old block is returned to a specialized enterprise, where it is disposed of. As a result, there will be no hazardous materials and substances left from it that could harm the environment and humans.

Who is against a floating nuclear power plant?

Like many other ambitious projects, the idea of ​​​​creating a “floating Chernobyl” was poorly received by environmentalists. They not only do not welcome such an idea, they believe that keeping such a powerful reactor plant afloat is dangerous. Experts taking part in this project claim that there is no danger, since nuclear ships have been afloat for many years and no disasters have occurred. But activists insist on their own, citing as an argument the fact that the parameters of the reactors of the floating installation have been changed compared to the parameters of reactors used on icebreakers, cruisers, etc. In particular, reactors of floating nuclear power plants have a larger active zone, and they will operate under more severe conditions, and the declared 40-year service life exceeds the permissible operating life of such reactors. Therefore, many environmentalists admit that a large nuclear experiment is being prepared in Pomorie, which could end disastrously not only for these regions, but also for all of Russia.

Greenpeace also joined the protest, publishing on its website a huge list of accidents on ships with reactor installations. The list was impressive, and it was compiled on the basis of available public sources. This list includes more than 100 accidents that occurred on ships, including accidents with the release of radioactive substances into the environment.

Waste

Environmentalists are confident that Russia is hiding behind problems of energy supply to remote regions in order to build floating nuclear reactors, which will later be leased abroad. At the same time, there is a high probability that Russia will also undertake maintenance, including the disposal of spent nuclear fuel. A barge with nuclear fuel that sailed from Severodvinsk will return in 40 years as a large nuclear waste dump. If the production of such nuclear power plants is put on stream, then very soon a problem will arise with the disposal of spent fuel, and burying it will be more difficult than conventional fuel from land-based nuclear power plants.

Expensive

Deputy General Director of Rosatom Sergei Krysov stated earlier that the cost of one kWh produced at a floating nuclear power plant is 1.5 rubles. This is much cheaper than the cost of kWh obtained by burning gas or coal in the Far North, because the price for electricity is determined primarily by the transport component.

The general director of the Malaya Energy company admits that compared to land-based nuclear power plants, the cost of producing one kWh at a floating station is much more expensive, but in any case it is cheaper than using fossil fuels in the Far North. It is worth noting that the cost of constructing a floating nuclear power plant did not take into account the costs of disposing of spent fuel, which will need to be buried after 40 years. Given these costs, it is possible that the cost of producing one kWh of electricity could be much higher than the cost of producing one kWh using gas or coal.

However, now no one is going to pay or take into account the costs of disposal. It is quite possible that cheap recycling technologies will be invented within 40 years. Methods for reusing spent nuclear fuel may also be invented.

Finally

There are only two floating nuclear power plants in the world. The Americans planned to build the first one in 1961, but already in 1976 it was taken out of service due to economic inefficiency and unsafe use. "Akademik Lomonosov" is the only working floating nuclear power plant today, which is a very good solution for power supply to the remote northern regions of Russia. Over time, the use of these “mobile batteries” will make it possible to develop industry and increase the capacity of existing enterprises in remote regions, where previously this could not be done due to the high cost or lack of electricity.

Status: Nuclear power plants under construction

Floating nuclear power plant Lomonosov in Russia

Floating Nuclear Thermal Power Plant (abbreviated as FNPP) Academician Lomonosov is a Russian project for the construction of Russia's first mobile floating low-power nuclear power plant.

Floating power plant includes both a non-self-propelled vessel itself and reactor installations KLT-40S icebreaker type. The dimensions of the floating nuclear power plant vessel Akademik Lomonosov are 144 meters by 30 meters, the displacement of the floating nuclear power plant vessel is 21,500 tons.

The purpose of building a floating nuclear power plant is to generate electricity and heat, as well as desalinate sea water - from 40 to 240 thousand tons per day in conditions where it is impossible to build a land-based nuclear power plant, for example, this is a seismically active area or permafrost conditions (relevant for Russia). The electrical power of one reactor (there are two of them at the nuclear power plant) is 35 MW, the thermal power is 140 gigacalories per hour. The service life is 36 years - 3 cycles of 12 years with overloading of the reactor cores. To date, the first reactor was built in 2010. The further development of the project is complicated by the ongoing crisis in Russia and the saving of public funds. At a time when people check the ruble exchange rate online every five minutes, large investment projects are being frozen in the country. The falling exchange rate of the ruble also affects the cost of new nuclear power plants, since some of the equipment used is foreign-made.

Planned areas of use:

1. The northernmost city in Russia is Pevek in Chukotka
2. Closed military port of Vilyuchinsk on Kamchatka
3. Republic of Cape Verde (negotiations underway)
4. Offshore China, oil and gas fields
5. Gas fields of OJSC Gazprom in Taimyr

On September 15, 2011, permission was received for a project to use a Russian floating nuclear power plant near the city of Pevek to replace the capacity planned for closure in 2019-2021. In October 2016, construction of onshore infrastructure for the floating nuclear power plant began in the city of Pevek in Chukotka. The reactor is planned to be installed in its regular location in September 2019. In the same year, it is planned to put the Pevek nuclear power plant into operation. The cost of the first power unit in Pevek will be 16.5 billion rubles, of which 14.1 is the cost of the power unit itself, the remaining amount is the construction of onshore and hydraulic structures.

The history of the use of floating reactors in the world tells us about the United States, which used floating reactors to power the Panama Canal in 1966 - 1976, as well as the American base in Antarctica in 1962 - 1972.

Floating nuclear power plant Academician Lomonosov Russia: photos and videos

I left St. Petersburg on a big trip. The first stop was Murmansk, where nuclear fuel loading took place. The final point is the Chukotka port of Pevek, the northernmost city in Russia. The floating nuclear power plant will provide Chukotka with electricity and heat. In the meantime, the Arctic Ocean is ahead of the "Akademik Lomonosov".

The world's first floating nuclear power plant, Akademik Lomonosov, departs from the pier of the Baltic Plant. At the speed of a pedestrian - approximately 6 kilometers per hour, at the speed of Lomonosov, walking from Kholmogory to Moscow. And this slow start is also the beginning of a long journey.

The floating nuclear power plant is being towed to Murmansk, where the reactors will be refueled and from there delivered to the seaport of Pevek. "Akademik Lomonosov" will become the northernmost nuclear power plant in the world. However, it is mobile and can work anywhere.

“For the first time in Russia and throughout the world, it is possible to transport a source of safe ecological energy, the peaceful atom. This is especially important in our Far North region, where it is not possible to supply traditional fuel sources and not pollute the unique ecological environment,” noted Vitaly Trutnev, director Directorate for the construction and operation of floating nuclear thermal power plants of the branch of Rosenergoatom Concern JSC.

There is a captain's bridge, but there are no propellers or rudder. The power characteristics of a vessel are more important than seaworthiness. The maximum electrical power of Akademik Lomonosov is 80 megawatts. The floating nuclear power plant is capable of lighting and heating a city with a population of 100 thousand people.

The decision-making center is the control panel where the operation of two nuclear reactors is monitored. All possible and impossible situations have been worked out on land - at the Rosatom Academy they built an exact copy of the central control panel of the floating power unit. The corridors, staircases and decks of the Akademik Lomonosov represent five protection circuits and the largest hull of the ship itself.

The designers' calculations were tested in the pool of the Krylov Scientific Center, where models of nuclear icebreakers are tested, freezing ice fields, hummocks and icebergs in miniature.

One of the compartments was built so that, while at sea, it is safe for the environment to reload nuclear fuel from a special storage facility into reactors and, conversely, to unload spent fuel.

This is a unique property - "Akademik Lomonosov" does not require dock maintenance, it services itself. Only once every 12 years should it undergo routine maintenance.

Having moored in Pevek, the floating nuclear power plant will replace the capacity of the Bilibino NPP. This will happen next year. And depending on the first results of the work, it will become clear how many more floating stations Russia needs.