Inspenet, June 10, 2023
Ever since Indonesia expressed its desire to cooperate with Russia on a floating nuclear power plant project, many have wondered what these facilities are and how they differ from land-based atomic power plants. In a report by the Sputnik media, they explain what they are, what advantages they have and what they are for.
Although it sounds like a far-off and unusual concept today, floating nuclear power plants are not something new and their history dates back to the 1960s.
Conceptually, it is about ships that are equipped with nuclear reactors that are there not only to provide power to the ships themselves, but also to supply it to external consumers.
What are they for?
Floating nuclear power plants can be moved to regions where a powerful and reliable power source is needed, but a land-based one cannot be built, either for economic or technical reasons.
They can also be sent to areas where the exploitation of natural resources is planned, but the construction of cities is not contemplated. Or put another way, these plants are convenient when the need for a powerful power source is only going to be temporary, and it doesn’t make economic sense to build a full-fledged power plant there, either atomic or conventional.
Why is Russia leading in this field?
It should be noted that the first ship of this type – the MH-1 Sturgis – was introduced to the US in 1967 and was used in the Panama Canal for seven years, until a conventional power plant appeared there that could provide enough power. for the proper functioning of this important infrastructure.
However, the MH-1 Sturgis had a number of drawbacks, including a relatively low-powered reactor and complex maintenance. In fact, her fuel needed to be replaced once a year, which meant that the ship was not operational during this process.
In the US this concept did not see a continuation, but it did attract attention in the Soviet Union, where several projects were developed. However, with the collapse of the USSR, these types of ships fell into oblivion until the 2000s.
The pinnacle of these projects is the Akademik Lomonosov: Russia’s first floating nuclear power plant.
Akademik Lomonosov
Strictly speaking, it is not a ship, but a gigantic barge that needs tugboats to move. This is logical, since most of the time it is fixed next to a shore, for which it did not make sense to provide it with its own power plant.
It measures 144 meters in length, has a beam of 30 meters and a displacement of 21,500 tons. Thanks to a high degree of automation, the crew consists of just 70 people.
To generate electricity, Akademik Lomonosov has two KLT-40 pressurized water nuclear reactors, each generating up to 35 megawatts. In fact, they are the same reactors that can be seen on Russian icebreakers, where they serve as powerplants.
In the end, this plant is capable of supplying up to 60 clean megawatts to the electricity grid, as well as a large amount of hot water for heating and a huge amount of desalinated water.
With this energy, it is enough to supply a large industrial facility or a small city of about 100,000 inhabitants.
One of its great advantages is that it has its own nuclear fuel storage system, so it can recharge itself. Thus, their maintenance periods are between 10 and 12 years, which is 10 times longer than in previous floating nuclear power plants.
In terms of security, it has many protection systems and also does not move often, so the risk of something happening to it that could harm the environment is absolutely minimal.
Its construction began in 2007 and in 2020 it is already supplying energy in the Russian region of Chukotka.
How are they different from other ships with nuclear reactors?
Different kinds of ships with a nuclear power plant, such as aircraft carriers and icebreakers, have been in use for decades. However, floating nuclear power plants are much more complex for a number of reasons.
First of all, they must generate much higher power, as they not only have to maintain themselves, but also provide electricity to the external consumer, in a stable and reliable way.
Thus, its construction requires a combination of nuclear power plant technologies and ships with this type of power plant.
Finally, its operation also requires facilities and infrastructure that are not normally needed on aircraft carriers or icebreakers, which also brings additional difficulties. An example of this is nuclear fuel storage and internal refueling systems.
Photos: © Photo : Rosatom
Don’t miss the Inspenet News at: https://inspenet.com/en/inspenet-tv/
Loading...
