Russian floating nuclear power plant towed across the Baltic Sea

The shipyards in St. Petersburg have left the first floating nuclear power plant “Akademik Lomonosov”. It is currently being towed across the Baltic Sea, and the egg’s destination is expected to be the city of Piewiek in the Chukotka Autonomous District.

Russia made the decision to build floating nuclear power plants back in 2000. Eight are to be built and are expected to solve the problem of supplying energy to hard-to-reach areasoin Russia. The idea is to moor such power plants near coastal resortsoin industries and cities and supply them with energy and heat.

Nuclear power plant „Akademik Lomonosov” is currently being towed across the Baltic Sea to Murmansk, where it will be supplied with nuclear fuel. The first tests of the power plant will be conducted there.

Target „Akademik Lomonosov” is scheduled to dock in the Chukotka Autonomous District in the city of Perev. Will supply energy to residentsow and the mining industry. Energy production is expected to begin in 2019. It will replace the Bilibinsk nuclear power plant and a local coal-fired power plant.

Environmentalists who criticize such a solution point out that it could be dangerous and call the plant a „floating Chernobyl” or „nuclear Titanic”. Rosatom, the government-owned Russian energy company, whichora developed Lomonosov, issued a statement that the floating reactor will be "unbeatable" against tsunamis and other natural disasters, and that it meets all the requirements of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Jan Haverkamp, a nuclear energy expert for the Greenpeace organization, admitted that a floating nuclear power plant poses a major environmental threat. – Nuclear reactors floating in the Arctic Ocean pose an obvious threat to the environment, ktore under strong pressure anyway through climate change. This dangerous project is not only a threat to the Arctic, but also potentially to other densely populated places on Earth or sensitive regionsow – assessed Haverkamp.

According to Rosatom, „Akademik Lomonosov” be able to supply energy to a city of 100,000 people. The agency writes roAlso on its website that it will be the farthest on ponortheastern nuclear power plant.

Russian state media report that construction of another such vessel will begin next year. They also report that the technology can be sold to other countriesow.

In addition to environmentalists and environmentalists, concern has also been expressed by representatives of the Norwegian and Swedish authorities, whooThose who fear an accident near their territoriesow.