A delegation of representatives of an Indonesian mining company and academic community, as part of a working trip to Russia, visited operating and under-construction nuclear generation facilities based on floating power units - the world’s only Floating Nuclear Heat and Power Plant (FNPP), Akademik Lomonosov in Chukotka, and the lead floating nuclear power unit (FPU-106) with RITM reactor units currently under construction at a shipyard.
“During our visit, we saw both the process of constructing floating power units and the experience of operating an existing FNPP under real conditions. For Indonesia, floating power units are a suitable solution, as they can be used to supply power to remote coastal territories, islands, as well as large industrial and mining facilities, where the construction of extensive grid infrastructure may be technically complex or economically impractical,” noted Yudi Utomo, Lecturer at Nuclear Engineering Department, Universitas Gadjah Mada.
“Rosatom has experience in implementing nuclear power projects of various capacities and full-lifecycle capabilities – ranging from the design and manufacture of major equipment to the construction and operation of power facilities. Regarding floating power units specifically, a dedicated solution has been developed for international markets; it accounts for the climatic conditions of warm-climate countries – such as Indonesia – while enabling project implementation within the shortest possible timeframes for a nuclear project," stated Vladimir Aptekarev, Deputy Head of Rosatom’s Machine-Building Division for the Commercialization of Floating Power Solutions.
Russia
is the only country in the world with references in the construction and
operation of floating power units. Since 2020, an FNPP has been operating in
the city of Pevek in Chukotka, which, since its commissioning, has generated
more than 1.38 billion kWh of electricity and has become a driver of the Region’s
development. As a result of the reliable and accident-free operation of modern
RITM-200 reactor units within Russia’s nuclear icebreaker fleet, a range of
floating nuclear power units for the Russian and international markets were
developed, taking into account the climatic characteristics of the regions. A
series of FPU-106 floating power units with RITM-200S reactor units is
currently under construction to supply power to a large industrial cluster in
the Russian Far East.
Against
the backdrop of growing global demand for small-scale nuclear power, Floating
Power Units (FPUs) can significantly change the landscape of the
power system by effectively solving the problem of current or potential energy
shortages in remote territories with access to the sea. Like a “green” battery,
they are capable of continuously generating electricity for several decades
regardless of weather conditions and are suitable for supplying electricity to
both industrial facilities and urban agglomerations.
FPUs
have all the advantages of “large” nuclear power plants – they are
environmentally friendly, reliable and efficient. The power units are based on
reactor units of the RITM family, which are already operating on the
latest-generation Project 22220 nuclear icebreakers — Arktika, Sibir, Ural and
Yakutia. All reactor units for nuclear-powered vessels came off the production
lines of Rosatom Mechanical Engineering Division’s manufacturing sites.
The
Floating Nuclear Heat and Power Plant (FNPP),
located in the city of Pevek in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, is the world’s
only operating low-capacity floating nuclear power plant and the northernmost
nuclear heat and power plant in the world. Its launch in May 2020 became a real
breakthrough on the path toward ensuring the sustainable development of
Russia’s remote territories. The FNPP includes the Akademik Lomonosov floating
power unit (FPU) with two KLT-40S reactor units, which is a source of electrical
and thermal energy with a capacity of 70 MW and 50 Gcal/h, respectively, as
well as onshore infrastructure designed to deliver thermal and electrical
energy from the FPU to consumers. In addition to generating electricity, the
FNPP supplies heat to the city of Pevek.
The Mechanical Engineering Division of Rosatom State Corporation is Russia’s largest power engineering holding company in terms of production volumes and revenue. It is a complete supplier of reactor island and turbine hall equipment for all Russian-designed nuclear power plants under construction, a manufacturer of equipment, and a developer and supplier of integrated solutions for enterprises in the energy sector, the oil and gas industry and other industries. At present, 15 RITM reactor units have been manufactured at the enterprises of the Mechanical Engineering Division, while another 13 reactors for nuclear icebreakers and floating power units are at various stages of production. https://rosatommd.ru
