Yekaterina Guseva, Director of Analytical Center of RusCable.Ru

– Serial production of floating nuclear power plants is a very topical issue nowadays

Russian floating nuclear power plants will be built at Baltiysky Zavod in St.Petersburg. Director General of Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation Sergey Kiriyenko visited the plant on Apr 21 2009 to discuss the implementation of the contract for the construction of the first floating NPP, reports the PR Department of Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation. The floating NPPs to be built by Baltiysky Zavod can be stationed in any littoral area and can be used for both electricity/heat production and sea water desalination. Such a plant can be operated without refueling for 10–12 years and is very safe. A floating nuclear power plant is a 144 m long, 33 m wide vessel with a tonnage of 21,500 tons. The estimated cost of one such plant with two 70Mw KLT40-S reactors is 9bln RUR. The plant is supposed to pay off in no more than 7 years.

The serial production of floating nuclear power plants is a very topical issue nowadays. Rosatom has unique competitive advantages in this field. Such plants can operate for 40 years and pay off in 10 years. They can also be used for desalination of sea water.

South-East Asia, Africa and Australia urgently need such sources. By 2015 the world demand for drinking water will amount to $12bln. One such plant can produce 200,000–400,000 cubic meters of drinking water a day, which is enough for a city with a population of 1,000,000 people. 

Rosatom has all chances to preserve its leadership in the amount and number of contracts despite the crisis. Should there be any decline, it will not last for long as nuclear energy is a priority industry developing according to a special scenario.