Work on first floating nuclear plant is underway

Russian Floating Nuclear Power Plant delivers mobile, modular clean energy via a KLT-40C reactor, serving Kamchatka's Viluchinsk. Cost parity with hydropower and rising IAEA demand make off-grid electricity and industrial supply highly competitive.

Just recently the first floating nuclear power plant was set up in St. Petersburg. The contract, signed by OPK and "Concern Energoatom" PLC on February 27, anticipated the construction, launching, rebuilding and testing of the power plant.

The exploitation of the head floating power-generating unit, with KLT-40C type reactor, is the final step of this project. According to the contract, the construction of the floating power-generating unit started on February 27. By the II quarter of 2012 it is due to be completed as scheduled. In the fourth quarter of 2012, after testing, it will be operating.

The global economic crisis favors the FNPP construction because of the increased energy demand. The cost for kW per hour equals to the hydro-power station, and, as seen with the Leningrad reactor 3 extension, the exploitation of such a particular plant will be much in demand both in industrial and developing regions.

The possibility to convey these plants is of great value, as different regions have diverging needs for electric energy.

Russia is the first country to build a floating nuclear power plant. Similar projects have existed in other countries, but construction was put on hold in several cases for various reasons. One of the designers of the "Iceberg" design bureau evoked the idea of the utilization of such particular plants.

The first FNPP will be finalized by 2012, with commissioning planned in 2010 in earlier schedules, to be set in service in Kamchatka in the port of Viluchinsk.

A lot states such as the United States, China, India, Japan, France and Iran have global programs for the development of nuclear power engineering, with 54 new reactors under construction worldwide already underway. According to IAEA data, the demand for atomic energy will globally soar by 66% by 2030. Russia has a great chance to supply a new competitive product to the global market. Up until now there is no equivalent in the world.

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