MOSCOW — The one-of-a-kind floating nuclear power plant (FNPP) “Akademic Lomonosov” has been fully commissioned in Pevek, Chukotka region in the Russian Far East. Andrei Petrov, Director of Rosenergoatom (Electric Energy Division of Rosatom), the subsidiary responsible for the FNPP project implementation, signed the relevant decree.

“Today we can consider the floating nuclear power plant construction project successfully completed. We finished our main task for this year — fully commissioned the FNPP in Pevek, Chukotka region. Today, it officially becomes the 11th nuclear power plant in Russia and the northernmost one in the world,” Andrei Petrov noted .

Earlier, the Far East directorate of Rostechnadzor, Russia’s technical, nuclear and environmental watchdog, carried out an inspection of the project. Based on its results, the FNPP received a “statement of conformity”. This document verifies that the FNPP is built in accordance with all project documentation requirements.

Additionally, the project received approval from Rosprirodnadzor, the executive authority controlling and supervising activities in the field of environmental management. Receiving these documents means that the FNPP fully adheres to all norms and regulations, including sanitary, epidemiological, environmental, fire safety, construction requirements and federal standards.

The FNPP started providing electricity to the isolated grid of the Chaun-Bilibino energy center of Chukotka on Dec. 19, 2019. The US POWER magazine named this event as one of the six key global nuclear energy industry events of 2019.

The FNPP has already generated over 47.3 million kWh of electricity since being connected to the grid. Currently, it covers 20% of the Chaun-Bilibino energy center demand. The FNPP will become the main energy source for Chukotka following the Bilibino NPP shutdown.

The world's only floating nuclear power plant includes coastal infrastructure and the Akademik Lomonosov floating power unit (FPU) equipped with two KLT-40S reactors with an electric power of 35 MW each.

The FNPP power capacity is 70 MW while the heat capacity is 50 Gcal / h. The plant’s length is 140 meters, its width is 30 meters, its displacement is 21,500 tons. The service life is 40 years. — SG