Industrial and economic development of outlying and remote regions is a strategic task known firsthand in many countries of the world. Desert and dry regions of the Middle East, polar regions of Canada, insular territories of China and Southeast Asia, hard to reach regions of Chile, high north regions of Russia – the power demand of these regions are oftentimes impossible to meet by building conventional power generation facilities such as HPPs, TPPs or NPPs. It is not just that the construction of such plants is incredibly difficult and labor-consuming on a limited area in a source-constrained environment. They are not required in many cases because such regions need low and medium generating capacities, with the focus being on the development of industry facilities and low-populated towns.
A possible solution to the task of supplying electric power to remote regions with transportable power sources of low and medium capacities was pondered as early as at the start of the Soviet nuclear power industry: in 1950s Soviet scientists designed a mobile power plant of low capacity moved on four mobile tracked chassis. In parallel, a design of Sever, a floating nuclear power plant, was under development. However, later both projects were deemed unfeasible and shut down, all the activities being wound up.
It’s only decades later when the outrush of technology and huge many years’ experience in operating nuclear power facilities allowed Russia to see the abandoned projects in a new light. So, based on a commercial power unit of nuclear icebreakers that was proven by its long-term operation in the Arctic, the decision was made to restart the work on development of a floating NPP (FNPP) to supply power to civil facilities, such as large industrial enterprises, port cities, offshore oil and gas production and refinery complexes.
The FNPP is the first project in the range of mobile small power units that is unique in the world. The FNPP has the ultimate capacity of over 70MW and includes two KLT-40S units with 150 MWth each. OKBM Afrikantov JSC (a subsidiary of Rosatom) acts as the chief designer, manufacturer and single-source supplier of the equipment. The construction is performed at the Baltic factory in St. Petersburg.
Pevek in Chukotka has been chosen as the basing site for the future plant. This territory is a hub with major oil, gas, gold and other production facilities. The FNPP is named Academician Lomonosov after the first Russian natural scientist, physicist and chemist.
The FNPP advantage is in a number of its unique characteristics. First of all this is a separate power facility that is totally manufactured at the shipyard as a non-self-propelled vessel and then it is towed by sea or river to the operation site. A completed, tested and ready to go power facility is delivered to the customer. The facility includes living space and full infrastructure providing accommodation for operating personnel and ensuring maintenance for the facility. The plant mobility makes possible its relocation from one site to another. From this point of view, floating power units are best suited to operate in outmost regions by the sea and on the major river sides, remote from the centralized power supply systems.
The projects include a number of innovative solutions for safety and environmental stability issues. A plant is originally designed with some safety margin exceeding the highest possible loads, such as tsunami wave impact on the plant and a resulting collision with another ship or with an onshore structure.
Enrichment of the fuel used for floating power plants will not exceed the limit level determined by the IAEA to comply with the non-proliferation regime (up to 20%). This ensures the use of the FNNP under the international law, including in developing countries.
Of no less importance is the capability of the FNNP to perform other vital tasks. A dual-purpose nuclear power desalination plant option might be interesting for countries and regions with arid climate. Besides electric power generation, such a plant also produces qualitative potable water of sea water. The FNNP includes a floating power unit and a floating desalination unit that may use either remorse osmosis or multi-stage evaporating systems. Such plants are interesting for a number of European, Middle East and North Africa countries experiencing a severe shortage of potable water.
After 40 years of operation the power unit will be replaced with a new one while the aged unit will be returned for dismantlement. Greenfield site concept is followed both during the FNNP operation and after its decommissioning: no environmentally hazardous substances or materials on the site. It should not go unmentioned that the plant as a nuclear facility of electric power generation emits no СО2.
Rosatom intends to start up the first world floating NPP in 2018 after which it will be ready to present the project on the world market. However, even now the potential of the project generates practical interest in a number of countries. So, on 29 July, 2014, in Moscow, Rusatom Overseas (a subsidiary of Rosatom) and CNNC New Energy signed a Memorandum of Intentions for cooperation in a floating nuclear power plants project – China is planning to use FNNPs for development and electric power supply on its insular territories.
The FNNP is undoubtedly a project of future and an absolute technology breakthrough for reactors of low and medium capacity. To better present the project and give a view of the FNPP, Rosatom has developed a mobile application making it possible to see the FNPP on the mobile phone in augmented reality format: all you need is just enter Google play (if your smartphone platform is Android) or AppStore (if you possess an iOS platform product). Mobile applications are free for downloading.
