Rosenergoatom to Build Floating Nuclear Plants

Russia’s Rosenergoatom and the Kirov Factory have signed a memorandum of cooperation on the construction of floating nuclear power plants. Kirov will upgrade its existing plant and the port on the Vyatka River will be renovated at a combined cost of US$11 million.

Russia has plans to build at least seven floating nuclear power plants by 2020, with a decision to move ahead with the construction of the second plant potentially coming as early as 2012, according to a report from World Nuclear News. Rosenergoatom had commissioned the country’s first floating nuclear power plant, the Akademik Lomonosov, when the vessel was seized by the courts in bankruptcy proceedings against the Baltiysky Zavod shipyard. Financing has been restored and the Akademik is scheduled to be delivered in 2014, approximately 20 months later than planned.

Kirov Factory subsidiary Kirov Energomash will supply up to 50 percent of the equipment for the new floating power plants, including turbines. The cost of each plant is expected to be less than US$525 million, the cost of the Akademik Lomonosov.

Photo shows the Akademik Lomonosov, Russian’s first floating nuclear power plant, currently under construction. Courtesy of Sergei Vavilov, St. Petersburg.