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Released September 02, 2019 | GALWAY, IRELAND
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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--After a decade of delays, Russia's first floating nuclear power plant, the Akademik Lomonosov, has set sail across the Arctic ocean.
It will travel almost 5,000 kilometres (km) from the Arctic port of Murmansk to Chukotka in the far east, where it will be used as a replacement for the outgoing Bilibino nuclear plant and the Chaunskaya combined heat and power plants, which generate all of the electricity in the isolated region. With a capacity of 48 megawatts (MW), Bilibino is due to be taken offline in 2019. The Akademik Lomonosov is a 144-metre-long ship, weighing in at 21,500 tons and featuring a pair of 35- MW KLT-40S reactors. Generating a total of 70 MW of electricity and 300 MW of heat, it can supply enough energy for roughly 100,000 homes. It will also be used to power the region's Chaun-Bilibin mining complex which includes gold mines. Three tugs are towing the ship to Pevek, where it will dock in late September before being commissioned.
At the ship's launch Rosatom Director General, Alexey Likhachev, 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."
Rosatom claimed that the ship is "one of the most promising branches of small nuclear power reactors on the market today" and that it is particularly suited to very remote areas and island states that require "stable, green sources of energy." The company stated that there has been "significant interest in Rosatom's floating nuclear power plant technology from the Middle East, North Africa, and Southeast Asia." It is now working on second-generation floating nuclear power units for export.
Up to 40% of the cost of fossil fuel-based electricity generation is attributed to the price of coal, oil or gas, as well as to the cost of their delivery, Rosatom highlighted. "These small nuclear reactors can operate non-stop without the need for refuelling for three to five years, thereby considerably reducing the cost of electricity generation," it stated.
The project has been dogged by delays and for more than a decade, ranging from bankruptcy proceedings and contract delays to a change in shipbuilders. According to Industrial Info the project was originally due for delivery in 2011 and commissioning in 2012 and, after more delays, was due for commissioning again at the end of 2016. Early in 2018, the project was finally green lit for operation by the Russian State Expert Examination Board (Glavgosexpertiza). For additional information, see August 21, 2018, article - Green Light for First Floating Nuclear Power Plant.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, six offices in North America and 12 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Our European headquarters are located in Galway, Ireland. Follow IIR Europe on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn For more information on our European coverage send inquiries to info@industrialinfo.eu or visit us online at Industrial Info Europe.
It will travel almost 5,000 kilometres (km) from the Arctic port of Murmansk to Chukotka in the far east, where it will be used as a replacement for the outgoing Bilibino nuclear plant and the Chaunskaya combined heat and power plants, which generate all of the electricity in the isolated region. With a capacity of 48 megawatts (MW), Bilibino is due to be taken offline in 2019. The Akademik Lomonosov is a 144-metre-long ship, weighing in at 21,500 tons and featuring a pair of 35- MW KLT-40S reactors. Generating a total of 70 MW of electricity and 300 MW of heat, it can supply enough energy for roughly 100,000 homes. It will also be used to power the region's Chaun-Bilibin mining complex which includes gold mines. Three tugs are towing the ship to Pevek, where it will dock in late September before being commissioned.
At the ship's launch Rosatom Director General, Alexey Likhachev, 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."
Rosatom claimed that the ship is "one of the most promising branches of small nuclear power reactors on the market today" and that it is particularly suited to very remote areas and island states that require "stable, green sources of energy." The company stated that there has been "significant interest in Rosatom's floating nuclear power plant technology from the Middle East, North Africa, and Southeast Asia." It is now working on second-generation floating nuclear power units for export.
Up to 40% of the cost of fossil fuel-based electricity generation is attributed to the price of coal, oil or gas, as well as to the cost of their delivery, Rosatom highlighted. "These small nuclear reactors can operate non-stop without the need for refuelling for three to five years, thereby considerably reducing the cost of electricity generation," it stated.
The project has been dogged by delays and for more than a decade, ranging from bankruptcy proceedings and contract delays to a change in shipbuilders. According to Industrial Info the project was originally due for delivery in 2011 and commissioning in 2012 and, after more delays, was due for commissioning again at the end of 2016. Early in 2018, the project was finally green lit for operation by the Russian State Expert Examination Board (Glavgosexpertiza). For additional information, see August 21, 2018, article - Green Light for First Floating Nuclear Power Plant.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, six offices in North America and 12 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Our European headquarters are located in Galway, Ireland. Follow IIR Europe on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn For more information on our European coverage send inquiries to info@industrialinfo.eu or visit us online at Industrial Info Europe.
