The first floating nuclear power plant in the world put into operation. In Russia

Have you heard about nuclear power plants? It sounds cool and they give us a lot, but now a new type of these energy sources has appeared. Just imagine: an insane amount of energy that can be delivered anywhere and at the same time with minimal cost. No need to pull wires or prepare infrastructure and special substations. Just the energy will come by itself. Tesla also wanted to transmit energy without wires over vast distances, but then it never came to that. Now the time has come for something new - that which is not in the world. What am I talking about? Oh yes, floating nuclear power plants.

It looks epic.

Content

• 1 The world's first floating nuclear power plant
• 2 What is FNPP
• 3 What are floating nuclear power plants for?
• 4 prospects of the FNPP
• 5 Criticism of the FNPP

The world's first floating nuclear power plant

Frankly, when I came across this news, it seemed to me that someone justifies himself for spending billions of rubles and made just a barge with an atomic reactor. Having a little understanding of the topic, I realized that this idea is really very promising. We will return to this a little lower, but for now I’ll remind you what happened in general.

May 22, 2020 in Russia was commissioned incommercial operation the world's first floating nuclear power plant. She is not self-propelled and for transportation she needs a tug. There is nothing to worry about, since such an object is unlikely to move unaccompanied anyway.

The full name of the new type of station sounds like“Floating nuclear power plant” - abbreviated FNPP. The object we are talking about is called “Academician Lomonosov” and is currently located in Chukotka.

While the station is not working at full capacity, butit is gradually displayed on it, and will become not just a battery on the water, but the main source of the Chukotka energy network. In total, the station became the eleventh nuclear power plant in Russia and the first floating.

The importance of the event was recognized even by foreign experts. So the international magazine Power included the construction of the station in list of six key eventsrelated to nuclear energy in the world.

So Academician Lomonosov looks on the water.

And now we can talk about what this object is like, how it is planned to be operated, and whether other stations of this type will be built.

What is FNPP?

If you do not complicate, then a floating nuclear power plant is not much different from the one located on land except for the support on which it is built.

FNPP consists of a floating power unit, coastalinfrastructure for the issuance of electric and thermal energy to consumers, as well as hydraulic structures that are responsible for safe parking in the water area.

The power unit itself has not less, but even moredegrees of protection, since there could potentially be more impacts on it and the engineers tried to foresee everything. First of all, this applies to a very powerful floating base. All its parts are bilayer, that is, even a collision with something should not greatly harm the FNPP.

Let's see how nuclear power plants work and whether they are dangerous.

At the Academician Lomonsov installed two nuclearKLT-40S type reactor. Each electric power is 35 MW. In total, the maximum electric power of the entire station is obtained at the level of 70 MW. This is enough to cover the energy needs of a settlement in which up to 100,000 people live.

In addition to generating electricity, the station can generate heat. The maximum heat output is 50 Gcal / h. But this is not limited to the use of the FNPP Academician Lomonosov.

To make the station even more like a Swiss knife, it was equipped with a desalination system, which should desalinate up to 240 thousand cubic meters of sea water per day.

Academician Lomonosov began to be built in 2007 and only now it has been put into commercial operation. Although, he began to transfer the first energy to the network in December 2019.

So the object looked at the construction stage

What are floating nuclear power plants for?

In fact, if you need to figure it out,namely, a floating nuclear power plant is a very convenient means of generating energy. Now she stands still and you can ask why not build a regular station there. There is a share of logic in this matter, but if the energy is needed somewhere, the station can be transported there.

It’s not even necessary for the consumer to beon the shore. You can simply stretch the high-voltage line and power even distant objects. It will still be convenient. Especially in conditions of temporary use. For example, when there are problems with electricity after a natural disaster or just repair work at local power plants.

How the earth can serve as a source of inexhaustible energy

Also, such a station is very useful for the militarygoals. For example, to ensure the operation of autonomous anti-missile systems, to which they simply cannot reach the power line. When the object is relocated, the station can go after it or move to provide energy to other places.

Simply put, the mass of options. You can give a slightly absurd example with an external battery for a smartphone. You can charge from the outlet, but what if it is not?

An approximate scheme of the APPP device.

The prospects of the FNPP

I'm not saying that such a station will solve all the problemswith energy, but learning how to do it before the rest can be a very good idea. If the station works properly, then it can turn out to be very promising and you can make very good money on its sale.

There is already a second generation FNPP project. They will have a more compact power unit, which will produce not 75, but 100 MW. Rosatom also claims to be in talks with potential buyers in Latin America, Africa and Asia.

Criticism of the FNPP



Well, in the end I will add a little negativity.Even the Minister criticized the cost of kilowatts in 2007Economic development and trade by Hermann Gref.

This installation was criticized a lot, but it was built anyway.

In addition, there is a service standard that does not allow the station to be the only source of energy in the region.According to the rules, it must go to the repair port every 12 years every year, where it will benecessary regulatory work has been carried out and fuel has been reloaded.It is impossible to leave 100,000 people without light for a year.Perhaps this problem will solvethe construction of new stations that will be used and replace each other, but it is too early to talk about it.Although, you can discuss this in our Telegram chat.

If to solve this problem to build a local power plant, then why need a floating power plant?

It's hard to say.After that, everything has to be fixed.The main thing is that it is safe.