World’s first and so far the only floating nuclear power plant (FNPP) Akademik Lomonosov set sail from the Arctic city of Murmansk on August 23, 2019 for its final destination of Pevek, Chukotka, in Russia's far east region. Upon completion of 4,700 km of journey to Pevek, the floating nuclear power unit will supply clean heat and electricity in the area, ROSATOM official said.
Giving signal for Akademic Lomonosov to set sail, Alexey Likhachev CEO of Russia`s Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation said, "This is a momentous occasion for our company and for the Chukotka region. Today the Akademik Lomonosov begins its journey to Pevek, where it will guarantee clean and reliable energy supplies to people and businesses across the region. This amounts to a significant contribution to creating an Arctic future that is both sustainable and prosperous."
During the sailing ceremony, Rosenergoatom (a division of Rosatom), the operating company of the FNPP was awarded a Russian Book of Records certificate confirming Akademik Lomonosov’s status as the world's northernmost nuclear installation. There, it will operate as part of a floating nuclear power plant, replacing the outgoing Bilibino NPP and the Chaunskaya CHPP.
The FNPP project is one of the most promising branches of small nuclear power reactors in the market today. It is especially suited for very remote areas and island states that require stable, green sources of energy. So far, significant interest in Rosatom’s FNPP technology has come from the Middle East, North Africa, and South-East Asia. Rosatom is currently working on second-generation FPUs, i.e. Optimized Floating Power Units (OFPUs), which will be built in a series and be available for export.
Akademik Lomonosov hosts two KLT-40C type nuclear reactors, each with an electricity generation capacity of 35 MW. Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation, Rosatom is implementing Rooppur nuclear power plant in Rooppur of Pabna. Rooppur NPP will have two VVER 1200 reactors, each with a capacity of 1,200 MW. The evolutionary Gen III+ VVER reactor fully complies with all international safety requirements. It is expected that the first unit will be commissioned in 2023, and the second in 2024. Bangladesh-Russia Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) has expressed satisfaction over the progress on the construction of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.
