The federal autonomous institution Main Department of State Expertise (Glavgosexpertiza) says it has approved the project on construction of floating nuclear power plant (FNPP Akademik Lomonosov).
The customer of the pilot FNPP is Rosenergoatom Concern JSC which is a part of Rosatom’s electric power division.
Having studied the materials, the experts acknowledged the compliance of the project documentation and the findings of the engineering survey with technical regulations and other requirements.
FNPP Akademik Lomonosov equipped with reactor units КЛТ-40С will be able to produce up to 70 MW of electric energy and 50 Gcal/hr of thermal energy under rated operating conditions which is enough for supply of a town with about 100,000 of population. The main purpose of the project is to supply power to large industrial enterprises, port cities as well as offshore gas and oil platforms. Floating power unit with displacement of 21,500 t can also be used as a water softener. It can produce 240,000 cbm of water per day. The unit’s design lifetime is about 40 years.
FNPP is to replace the Bilibino NPP which generates 80% of the electricity produced by the closed-loop Chaun-Bilibino energy system, a pioneer nuclear power plant built in the Arctic region (in Chukotka). Shutdown of the first power plan unit is scheduled for 2019 with the entire Bilibino NPP to stop operation in 2021.
The floating nuclear power plant is overdesigned to meet all the possible risks and ensure the reactors’ unvulnerability in case of tsunami and other disasters. Nuclear processes comply with all the requirements of International Atomic Energy Agency and present no risks for the environment.
The construction is financed by Rosenergoatom Concern JSC.
In spring 2018, upon completion of the tests, FNPP Akademik Lomonosov will leave the shipyard and will be towed to Murmansk, where nuclear fuel will be loaded in autumn 2018. The nuclear reactor start-up is scheduled for November 2018.