Russian floating nuclear power station

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"Floating nuclear power station" redirects here. For the earlier station operated in the Panama Canal Zone, see MH-1A.
An overhead view of Admiral Kuznetsov
Career Russian Naval Jack
Shipyard: Sevmash
Laid down: April 15, 2007
Launched: Planned for 2010
Displacement: 21 500 tonnes[1]
Length: 144 meters[1]
Beam: 30 meters[1]
Powerplant 2 modified KLT-40S Nuclear Reactors (Ice breaker type), 70MW electric or 300MW heat power
Planned Cost $336 million[2]

Floating nuclear power stations (Russian term: плавучая атомная теплоэлектростанция малой мощности, АТЭС ММ) are vessels projected by the Russian Federal Atomic Energy Agency that present self-contained, low-capacity, floating nuclear power plants, each powered by two modified KLT-40 naval propulsion reactors.

The stations are to be mass-built at ship-building facilities and then towed to the destination point in coastal waters near a city, a town or an industrial enterprise. Each vessel would then provide up to 70MW of electrical or 300MW of heat energy that are enough for a city with population of 200,000 people. It could also be modified as a desalination plant producing 240,000 cubic meters of fresh water a day.[3][1]

Contents

[edit] Fuelling

The plant needs to be refuelled every three years while saving up to 200,000 metric tons of coal and 100,000 tons of fuel oil a year. The reactors are supposed to have a lifespan of 40 years. Every 12 years the whole plant will be towed home and overhauled at the wharf where it was constructed. The disposal of the nuclear waste will be organized by the manufacturer and supported by the infrastructure of the Russian nuclear industry. Thus, virtually no radiation traces are expected at the place where the power station produced its energy.[3][1]

[edit] Safety

Environmental groups and nuclear experts are concerned that floating plants will be more vulnerable to accidents and terrorism than land-based stations. They point to a history of naval and nuclear accidents in Russia and the former Soviet Union, including the Chernobyl disaster of 1986.[4]

Russia does have 50 years of experience operating a fleet of nuclear powered icebreakers that are also used for scientific and Arctic tourism expeditions. The Russians have commented that a nuclear reactor that sinks, such as the similar reactor involved in the Kursk explosion, can be raised and probably put back into operation.[5] At this time it is not known what, if any, containment structure or associated missile shield will be built on the ship. The manufacturers believe that an airliner striking the ship would not destroy the reactor.[6] According to MosNews, a Russian news outlet, there is no way an airliner striking the ship would destroy the reactor.[7]

[edit] The Lomonosov

On April 15, 2007 the construction of the first floating Nuclear Power Station, Academician Lomonosov, started at the Sevmash Submarine-Building Plant in Severodvinsk. The celebrations were attended by the first deputy prime minister of Russia, Sergei Ivanov, and by the head of the Russian Federal Atomic Energy Agency, Sergei Kiriyenko.[8]

Academician Lomonosov Floating Power Plant is supposed to supply power to Severodvinsk town and SevMashZavod itself. It would also serve as a prototype and a demonstration model. It is planned to completed by 2010.[9] By 2015 at least seven of the vessels are supposed to be built.[10] Some of them are planned to be used in the Russian Arctic, including at Dudinka on the Taymyr Peninsula, Vilyuchinsk on the Kamchatka Peninsula and Pevek on the Chukchi Peninsula,[1] but some are to be exported. According to Russian Federal Atomic Energy Agency 15 countries have shown interest in hiring such a device.[10]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Floating Nuclear Power Stations. Russia overcame America. New project by Russian Nuclear Scientists RIA Novosti April 16, 2006
  2. ^ Russian world-first: A floating nuclear plant MSNBC
  3. ^ a b Russia to Build World's First Floating Nuclear Power Station for $200,000 MosNews
  4. ^ Floating nuclear power stations raise spectre of Chernobyl at sea.
  5. ^ Floating nuclear power stations raise specter of Chernobyl at sea.
  6. ^ www.mosnews.com/money/2005/09/09/floatingnuclearplant.shtml.
  7. ^ Russia to Build World’s First Floating Nuclear Power Station for $200,000 from Web Archive
  8. ^ Floating NPS are ready for export Vremya Novostey
  9. ^ The first Floating Nuclear Power Station will be built to 2010 - says Sergey Ivanov.
  10. ^ a b Russia will built a serie of Floating NPS Vzglyad April 15, 2007

[edit] External links

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