Successful Russian prototype holds out promise for a novel energy source along India’s significant coastline
Nuclear powered submarines, icebreakers and traditional nuclear power plants are now passé for Russia’s incorporated nuclear power company Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation.
With a floating nuclear power plant (FNPP), Akademik Lomonosov, operating within the Arctic port town Pevek since 2019, Russia is now observing a worldwide market, along with India, for such units.
An FNPP is placed on a ship and can be linked or delinked to the power lines of a coastal town; it may be dragged to any area, as wished.
Akademik Lomonosov named after 18th century Russian scientist Mikhail Lomonosov is docked at the icy seashores of the East Siberian Sea. The vessel house two small lightwater reactors with 14-15 percent enhance uranium fuel, each with a generation ability of 35 MW like the ones powering Russia’s icebreaker vessels.
Given that India is blessed with a 7,500 km coastline and several islands, the question is whether or not the sort of ship mounted small nuclear power plant may be used to power its islands or coastal towns. The life of such plant is about 40 years and may be expanded.
Accrued expertise
Russia is constructing 4 extra FNPPs of 50 MW potential for its utilization. As of December 19, 2024, Akademik Lomonosov has provided about 978 million kWh of electricity to the Chaun-Bilibino energy hub in Chukotka, assembly the place’s energy desires for more than a year.
Rosatom is operating on a new floating nuclear electricity plant with 4 reactors at Cape Nagleyynyn in Chukotka and a land primarily based small modular reactor with the today’s RITM-200 reactor in Ust-Kuyga, Yakutia.
Options before India
Can India examine the option of a floating nuclear power plant?
Rosatom’s Director General Alexey Likhachev has stated that the enterprise is interested in developing cooperation with India, inclusive of enforcing floating and land primarily based nuclear power units, other than serial production of excessive-powered plants.
The floating plant want no land, are inherently earthquake resistant, have an abundance of water for active or passive cooling, and don’t have any want for spent fuel storage facilities on land. Rosatom officials say the FNPP will not leave any nuclear lines, and the vessel may be decommissioned at a particular area.
As in the case of the 1,000 MW power plants at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu, both the nations can work in cooperation for the FNPPs.
At an event in Moscow in 2023, Likhachev had stated the two nations could cooperate in building small floating nuclear reactors. Russia can offer the nuclear heart (reactor) and other systems even as India can take care of the tow boat and the electric systems needed for an FNPP.
Cost aspect
A retired senior officer of the Indian nuclear sector stated the government must recognize one or two shipyards and take a look at collection production of vessels for housing small nuclear power plants.
“The price of such plant will be a primary element for India. Russia has nuclear icebreakers. They can build new plants or get rid of the nuclear power plants from icebreakers and rise it on a tanker as a floating nuclear power plant,” the Indian respectable, who refused to be diagnosed, stated.
As for fuel, it can be imported if the plant life are underneath the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards.
