The development of a mobile nuclear power plant took over a decade.
Russian officials believe they have found an innovative way to strengthen their position in the global nuclear energy market. But environmentalists warn that the project, which installs two small reactors on a large barge, risks becoming the atomic Titanic, a floating time bomb.
Akademik Lomonosov, whose relatively small reactors are capable of producing up to 70 megawatts of electricity, arrived on May 19 from St. Petersburg to the northern port city of Murmansk, where it will be fueled and tested with nuclear fuel. If it is found that it is in good working order, it will be towed along the northern coast of Russia to Chukotka.
The vessel is intended for use as a floating power plant for the village of Pevek with a population of almost 5,000. Akademik Lomonosov will replace reactors at the nearby Bilibino facility, which were due to be decommissioned in 2019, as a power source.
In Soviet times, there were several camps in the Pevek region where prisoners were forced to mine uranium. Today Pevek is known as an oil and gas production site.
The development of a mobile nuclear power plant (FNPP) took over a decade. Work on the project began in 2006, and the launch of the first floating nuclear power plant was supposed to be carried out in 2008. Estimates of the cost of such mobile systems vary widely, but the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom is promoting floating reactors as a relatively cheap source of energy for remote or lacking the necessary infrastructure to build a land-based nuclear power plant.
The project was actively criticized both in Russia and abroad. Many complaints are related to the closed and non-transparent project. The Akademik Lomonosov was towed to Murmansk for refueling due to public opposition to Rosatom's initial plan to fuel a floating nuclear power plant in St. Petersburg.
One of the main critics of the project is the international environmental organization Greenpeace, which warns that the lack of transparency significantly increases the likelihood of a nuclear disaster. “If this is not stopped, the next nuclear disaster could very well be Chernobyl on ice or Chernobyl on rocks,” a commentary posted on the organization’s website said in April.
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Greenpeace calls for stricter control over the FNPP activities, including monitoring mechanisms for other Arctic countries and a study on the impact of the FNPP on the environment.
Reportedly, the nuclear reactors at Akademik Lomonosov need to be refueled every two to three years. It is assumed that the spent fuel will be stored on the ship itself, which is planned to operate in Pevek for about 12 years.
The crossing of the Baltic Sea by Akademik Lomonosov after leaving St. Petersburg on April 28 caused many complaints. For example, the Estonian Maritime Administration stated that the barge violated the routes of sea vessels. And on May 3, when the barge entered Danish waters, Greenpeace activists approached the accompanying auxiliary ships and carried out a “peaceful escort”.
Rosatom criticized Greenpeace's actions in Danish waters, claiming that "anti-nuclear extremists" had made an "attempt at dangerous rapprochement" with the ships accompanying the floating nuclear power plant. The statement from Rosatom also stated that the Akademik Lomonosov reactors have "the most advanced anti-accident systems."
Rosatom states that it has not received any inquiries from Greenpeace regarding operational and safety standards at the floating nuclear power plant. The corporation also argues that nuclear power is the most sustainable energy source in the Arctic, where long and harsh winters make it difficult to use renewable energy sources, including solar or wind power.
“We believe that the attackers of the project do not deserve to be called environmentalists or green activists. They are hostages of anti-nuclear fanaticism,”Rosatom said in a statement.
Despite harsh remarks about Greenpeace, Rosatom's announcement is consistent with the corporation's pivot towards clean energy, including nuclear power. The corporation recently started investing in wind energy, and in February 2018 announced plans to build a wind farm in the Krasnodar Territory.
The launch of Akademik Lomonosov is taking place against the backdrop of Rosatom's rivalry with other government agencies of the Russian Federation for a leading role in the development of the Russian Far North. As a result of the warming climate, navigation along the northern route can now be carried out all year round. Thus, the floating thermal power plant provides Rosatom with an important tool to help the corporation maintain its dominant position in the region, which until recently was completely dependent on Rosatom's nuclear icebreakers.
Emma Claire Foley