Alexander Ignatyuk, analyst of Energocapital IC

– Floating NPP is the first really practicable idea of the Russian industry

The construction of the world’s first floating nuclear power plant will be started on May 8 2009, Director General of Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation Sergey Kiriyenko said during a conference giving start to the project at Baltriysky Zavod in St.Petersburg. The first reactor of the plant will be delivered to Baltiysky Zavod in May, the second one in June. The construction is supposed to be completed in 2012. After that the plant will be sent to Vilyuchinsk. 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.

Floating nuclear power plant is the first really practicable idea of the Russian industry, which is proved by not only the high interest of national manufacturing and mining companies but also the growing demand for this type of NPP on the foreign market. The idea to build floating nuclear power plants for the Far North does not seem dubious any longer. The indisputable advantages of this project — mobility, ability to work without refueling for 10–12 years, reliability, ecological safety – have now been set into a real industrial framework. Baltiysky Zavod has all necessary capacities for building floating NPPs. Even more, it has already started to build one.

The question is if the Russian industry will be able to finalize this project? This question is quite natural considering the experience of the 1990s when we had lots of good ideas and sufficient capacities but found no financing to carry them through. We simply did not see the benefits of innovative development. We just wanted to earn “quick” money and did not care for the future. Today, we are in the 21st century and, even despite the current economic crisis, we enjoy quite stable political system and have enough money for building our future. I am sure that Baltiysky Zavod will be able to build the plant in time. Even if the amount of contracts in the energy sector declines, the first floating NPP will still be built as today nuclear energy is one of our national priorities.

Today, we must consider ways to promote floating nuclear power plants on the international market. As many as 12 countries have already said that they want to have such plants. Jordan is one of them. That country has no traditional energy resources but has uranium reserves. So, a nuclear power plant together with a uranium enrichment infrastructure might ensure the energy security of Jordan in its politically unstable region. For arid Jordan this project is also a unique chance to get drinking water.

The fact that Russian Atomstroyexport has been invited to take part in two tenders in Jordan proves that in this field Russia may not only advise Jordan but also help it to build own nuclear power plant.

To remind, while speaking at IAEA conference in Beijing Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission of Jordan Haled Tukan said that his country was ready to shortly sign with Russia an agreement for cooperation in the field of peaceful use of nuclear energy. Just like Russia, Jordan is planning to increase the share of nuclear energy in its total energy balance to 30% by 2030. Tukan said that Jordan considered nuclear energy as a good alternative for generating electricity and desalinating water. The agreement initialed in Feb 2009 envisages the construction of a nuclear power plant and a sea water desalination facility as well as cooperation in the field of mining and use of nuclear materials. Atomstroyexport CJSC is taking part in two tenders in Jordan: for providing consultation on the selection of construction site for a nuclear power plant and for building a nuclear research and training center, which will create infrastructure for Jordan’s nuclear power industry. Atomstroyexport’s offers were submitted to the Atomic Energy Commission of Jordan Apr 15 2009 in accordance with the deadlines and tender requirements. It was Jordan’s decision to invite Aromstroyexport for participation in the tenders. In its turn, the Russian company is ready to help the friendly country to develop own nuclear power industry by using Russia’s big experience and advanced technologies in the field of peaceful use of nuclear energy.