Russia Launches Floating Nuclear Power Plant; It's Headed To The Arctic

[G_j]

Source: NPR


April 30, 2018

A massive floating nuclear power plant is now making its way toward its final destination at an Arctic port, after Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom launched the controversial craft over the weekend. It's the first nuclear power plant of its kind, Russian officials say.

Called the Akademik Lomonosov, the floating power plant is being towed at a creeping pace out of St. Petersburg, where it was built over the last nine years. It will eventually be brought northward, to Murmansk – where its two nuclear reactors will be loaded with nuclear fuel and started up this fall.

From there, the power plant will be pulled to a mooring berth in the Arctic port of Pevek, in far northeast Russia. There, it will be wired into the infrastructure so it can replace an existing nuclear power installment on land.

Critics of the plan include Greenpeace, which recently warned of a "Chernobyl on ice" if Russia's plans to create a fleet of floating nuclear power stations result in a catastrophe.

Read more: https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/04/30/607088530/russia-launches-floating-nuclear-power-plant-its-headed-to-the-arctic

[CincyDem]

1. Yeah. What could go wrong ?

[rzemanfl]

2. Beat me to it. n/t

[byronius]

3. I already saw this movie. Spoiler alert: Godzilla.

Russia! Still the villain after all these years!

George Patton was right after all.

[7962]

4. He certainly was. And nobody would listen. The 1st conspiracy theory, I think!!

"The Russians killed Patton"

[MosheFeingold]

6. Using Nazi Troops

Was a bit too much to swallow.

It took effort for me to not shoot and abuse prisoners.

[keithbvadu2]

5. We already have floating nuclear power plants... subs and aircraft carriers.

We already have floating nuclear power plants... subs and aircraft carriers.

[angrychair]

7. Totally different

We are the only builders of nuclear powered aircraft carriers and it is undeniably the most successful nuclear program in the world.

NNPI is also some of the most closely held, secret, information in the US Navy or any other military branch.

What the Russians are doing with their floating reactors is nothing like the reactors on US carriers or subs and is extremely dangerous and reckless.

[NickB79]

12. The Russians have built more naval reactors than the US in the past 60 yr

http://www.world-nuclear.org/information-library/non-power-nuclear-applications/transport/nuclear-powered-ships.aspx

They've also been running more nuclear icebreakers in the Arctic longer than the US has, and this ship is essentially a larger version of one of those.

[angrychair]

18. Correct, I'll grant you

But I have significant concerns given their historical safety record in this area. Second and third world nations, especially those beholden to organized crime, should not be allowed to have floating nuclear power plants.

Not to mention that such operations seem incredibly hard to secure from attack.

Not to mention that nuclear energy is a dead end technology. It incredibly expensive to maintain and creates waste that is dangerous for in excess tens of thousands of years.

[JPK]

8. We already proposed this type of power plant

There was a company in the late 70's, Offshore Power Systems. They were going to locate nuclear power plants on the ocean surrounded by concrete barriers. It was a cooperative between Westinghouse and some other company. It almost got off the ground until smarter heads prevailed and the whole thing quietly faded away.

[They_Live]

9. What does the UN think about this idea?

International waters and all...

[hack89]

10. There are lots of nuclear reactors at sea

Been like that since the 60’s.

[They_Live]

20. True.

But that doesn't mean that it is a good idea.

[hack89]

22. Doesn't mean the UN cares about it

especially considering all the nuclear powers on the Security Council - all five permanent members have nuclear powered ships and submarines.

[LanternWaste]

23. That certainly addressed the question...

That certainly and directly addressed the question...

[hack89]

24. Granted that some issues require some thought

but it should be somewhat obvious that there are no restrictions on nuclear reactors in international waters given that nuclear powered ships have been a global presence for 70 years with no legal hindrance.

But thanks for dropping by.

[BadGimp]

11. What could possibly go wrong?

[joshcryer]

13. One reason they don't care about climate change is the arctic is rife for exploitation.

This is only the beginning.

[ansible]

14. Yep, Russians actually benefit enormously from a warmer earth

Temperatures there have already warmed so much that russians are complaining their winters are too warm now.

[Sunlei]

21. So will Canada & USA could benefit too if people were willing to adapt & change 'land/water usage.

[dembotoz]

15. using artic water to cool the damn thing would imagine harbor free of ice

[Nitram]

16. What could go wrong? There are no violent storms at sea in that part of the world.

[MGKrebs]

17. Seems pretty suspicious to me. That town Pevek shows a pop. of about 4000.

And there is not much else around there. Are they planning for some growth there? Is that their best access to the Arctic?

It's funny, on Google maps that town shows mostly banks when you zoom in.

[Sunlei]

19. Russia will have a huge fishing industry with live on site 'labor' & scrape the seas of everything.

They also will capture & dominate sales of live animals like Orcas. (they already capture plenty.)