World’s first floating nuclear power plant to begin operating in Russia in 2016
"In three years, Russia will have the world’s first floating nuclear power plant, capable of providing energy and heat to hard-to-get areas as well as drinking water to arid regions.
The unique vessel should be operational by 2016, the general director of Russia’s biggest shipbuilders, the Baltic Plant, Aleksandr Voznesensky told reporters at the 6th International Naval Show in St. Petersburg.
The Akademik Lomonosov is to become the spearhead of a series of floating nuclear power plants, which Russia plans to put into mass-production.
The floating power-generating unit, aimed at providing energy to large industrial enterprises, port cities and offshore gas and oil-extracting platforms, was designed on the basis of nuclear reactors which are equipped on the icebreakers ships. The technology has proved itself for over 50 years of successful operation in extreme Arctic conditions. "
"Like every atomic station the floating power plant is designed with a safety margin, exceeding any possible threats, which makes the reactors invulnerable to tsunami waves or crashes with other ships or on-land structures."
I'm not sure how it's tsunami safe. Sure it could just avoid those areas, but otherwise if it was near shore, it would get washed up just like any other debris. There probably isn't enough warning time to tow it out of the area. I would expect the reactor would have a lot of shielding to maybe the plan is to protect it in such an event, but I'd think a permanent land-based building would be capable of having better shielding.
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I find it ironic that the ship has no propulsion mechanism on it. I suppose that makes sense, because in theory this thing is just gonna sit somewhere, so the engine and prop would just rust away, but still, it's a freaking nuclear power plant - all the power it could ever need, but can't go anywhere.
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