This is the floating nuclear power plant in the Arctic that holds the record of generating 1 billion kWh of energy

The world’s only floating nuclear power plant has just hit a major milestone: it has produced 1 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity - enough to power thousands of homes - having also recently completed its first fuel change.

Floating nuclear plant provides 60% of area’s energy

The Akademik Lomonosov, the world’s northernmost heat and electricity-producing unit, has been operating in the Russian Arctic region of Chukotka, in the extreme northeastern portion of Siberia, since May 2020. Five years ago, the plant supplied nearly 20% of the region’s energy demands, a figure which has since risen to 60% following its refueling. 

Aboard the Akademik Lomonosov

Unlike traditional nuclear plants built on land, the Akademik Lomonosov is on a ship-like structure and was designed to bring power to remote areas. It was originally built to service the Sevmash shipyard in the northwest of Russia before being repurposed as a replacement for the Bilibino Nuclear Power Plant, which was nearing the end of its service life. 

The floating plant has a length of 472 feet (144 m) and width of 98 feet (30 m), and possesses two reactors, similar to the ones used in Russian icebreaker ships, for power generation.

The reactors serve a population of approximately 5,000 people, supply energy for mining operations in the Baimskaya ore zone and help desalinate over 240,000 cubic meters of water each day. 

Nuclear energy concerns

Many people are concerned about the risks and costs of nuclear energy, particularly in the light of the disaster at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Soviet-controlled Ukraine in 1986, which led to the deaths of 30 people and the land around Chornobyl being uninhabitable for at least 20,000 years due to the nuclear fallout. 

However, the Akademik Lomonosov shows how the technology can be used in unique and useful ways, especially in hard-to-reach places.

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