OREANDA-NEWS. July 06, 2010. The nuclear power industry is ready to produce several variants of floating nuclear thermal power plants (FNTPP) – with reactor capacity of 10–300 mW. This declaration was made by General Director of Rosatom State Corporation Sergey Kirienko at the solemn ceremony dedicated to launching of the first in the world floating power unit (FPU) “Academician Lomonosov” that took place on June 30, 2010 at the Baltic Plant in Saint Petersburg.

In his opinion, low-power NPPs that do not require developed networking facilities can occupy up to 20 % of nuclear power plants construction marker volume.

Plenipotentiary Presidential Envoy to the Northwestern Federal District Ilya Klebanov, Governor of Saint Petersburg Valentina Matvienko, Governor of the Chukotka Autonomous District Roman Kopin, General Director of Rosenergoatom Concern OJSC Sergey Obozov and others took part in the FPU launching for the first in the world floating nuclear thermal power plant being constructed by Rosenergoatom Concern OJSC.

According to the sea tradition, each ship has a god mother. Governor of Saint Petersburg Valentina Matvienko took upon herself this mission in regard to the floating power unit of project 20870. She was glad to note active cooperation of Rosatom State Corporation with nuclear engineering enterprises of Saint Petersburg and Leningrad district: only in 2010 they produce equipment valued at 76.2 bln rubles that is equal to 65 % of the total nuclear scientists order.

A bottle of champagne broken by Valentina Matvienko against the FPU board – a flush-deck non-powered vessel with length overall equal to 140 meters and beam — 30 meters and full load weight — 21 000 tons, symbolized beginning of its full and prosperous life. Indeed, the FNTPP prospects are not bad: it solves the key problem of the nuclear power industry concerning this project – construction of the reference model, innovative for the world market.

Many countries, including developing ones, express interest in the FNTPP. The FNTPP that is also a desalination plant of the power complex has all chances to improve economics of the project being operated in the regions where the fresh water reserves are limited. The necessary condition for purchase of the plant by foreign customers is construction of the working model in Russia.

Among the nearest key events Sergey Kirienko noted completion of equipment assembly at the FPU next year as well as simultaneous construction of coast infrastructure and water works on Kamchatka. By 2012, in 22 months, the nuclear scientists mean to load nuclear fuel into the floating NPP reactors and tow it to the basing site.