World News | Russia develops future nuclear power plant in Far East and puts it into operation

Pevek (Russia) June 8 (PTI) — As India looks for Small Modular Reactor (SMR) technology to help enable a clean energy transition, Russia has developed a futuristic nuclear power plant that is already in the country’s Far East. put into operation.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the world’s first floating nuclear power plant (FNPP) “Akademik Lomonosov” started commercial operations in May 2020 and produces energy through two 35 MW reactors.

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According to the IAEA, SMRs are a fraction of the size of conventional nuclear power reactors, which allows systems and components to be assembled at a factory and transported as a unit to the installation site.

Other SMRs are under construction or in the licensing stages in Argentina, Canada, China, Russia, South Korea and the United States, the nuclear energy regulator said.

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Russia operates two 35 MW SMRs in the Arctic Ocean port city of Pevek and in the administrative center of the Chaunsky District of the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, about 5,500 kilometers from the capital Moscow. This small town in Russia’s Far East, where temperatures can drop below minus 30 degrees during peak winter, is known for its gold mining, which requires electricity to operate.

Commissioned in 2020, the nuclear power plant is located on a 144-meter-long ship with a displacement of 21,560 tons. Russia claims it is the world’s only floating nuclear power plant.

Andrey Zaslavskiy, Acting Deputy Director-General of JSC REA and Acting Director of the Floating Nuclear Power Plant Subsidiary, said the FNPP is completely safe and has transformed the supply of life in the region by providing 24/7 power and year-round heating.

“The RITM family of reactors is designed in such a way that it can operate stably under the high shock loads that accompany icebreaker operations. These loads are much heavier than those caused by extreme earthquakes of magnitude 8 and above. The NPP is designed to take into account earthquakes and other site conditions and construction, which allows the plant to operate safely and efficiently for at least 60 years,” Zaslavskiy said.

Zaslavskiy, however, sidesteps the question of the cost of building an SMR.

A spokesperson for Rosatom’s South Asia team said the deployment of the world’s first floating nuclear power plant in the Arctic region, supplying electricity to the Russian city of Pevek, illustrates SMR’s strengths in facilitating the global energy transition to a sustainable future.

“Rosatom is eagerly looking forward to working with the Government of India and its partners to realize the full potential of SMR in upcoming projects in the country.

“By joining forces, we can advance the adoption of advanced nuclear technologies that will benefit not only India but also global efforts to combat climate change and ensure a brighter future for the world,” the spokesperson added.

India and Russia are cooperating to build six light water reactors at Kudankulam, two of which are already operational.

India currently does not have a formal SMR policy, according to a former senior official in the Atomic Energy Ministry.

India currently has 22 operating nuclear power plants – two light water reactors, two boiling water reactors and 18 indigenously developed pressurized heavy water reactors.

Notably, Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh said last month that India was researching new technologies such as small modular reactors that could be built in factories and help enable a clean energy transition.

With capacities up to 300 MW, SMRs are designed for flexibility and a small footprint. As mobile and agile technologies, SMRs can be built in factories, unlike traditional nuclear reactors that are built on site.

A recent NITI Aayog report said that with many SMR designs in various stages of research, development and licensing in different countries, global regulatory harmonization, developing manufacturing ecosystems and bringing in public and private capital will be key to the growth of the SMR industry.

On May 16, India’s G20 coordinator Amitabh Kant called for “unfettered access” to US nuclear technology to build small modular reactors (SMRs) in the country.

Kant said the private sector needs to be allowed into the atomic energy sector to take advantage of more efficient SMRs.

Speaking at the G20 Energy Transition Task Force meeting in Mumbai, Kant said India also needs to work with the US to give India unrestricted access to cutting-edge technologies by granting it a general mandate.

Speaking at the G20 event on SMR in Mumbai, Alexandre Volgin, Rosatomservedas project director, said: “We are delighted to share Rosatom’s experience and knowledge in SMR with India, which has been our trusted partner for many years. Expertise and knowledge in the development, construction and operation of small modular reactors will play a key role in facilitating the global energy transition to a sustainable future.”

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)