Floating nuclear power plants offer a chance for regions during hot summers and cold winters. Russia leads the way [ANALYSIS]
Photo Source: Rosatom
By During hot summers and frosty winters, nuclear power plants could prove to be a lifesaver in the regional energy balance in coastal regions. Floating nuclear power plants (FNPPs) represent a groundbreaking innovation in clean and reliable energy production, offering a versatile and sustainable solution in the fight against climate change and growing global energy demand, argues the World Nuclear Association in a report.
When wind power is lost in wind farms, water in rivers is lost to power hydroelectric power plants, and nuclear power plants are cooled, when there’s no sunshine on hot, cloudy days, when gas supplies to gas-fired power plants are interrupted, or when coal is scarce in conventional power plants, floating nuclear power plants are expected to save the day, according to the report “Facilitating Global Deployment of Floating Nuclear Power Plants.” The report was developed by a group of experts assembled by the World Nuclear Association, an organization based in Wales, UK.
Nuclear Power at Sea is Better Than on Land
According to nuclear energy experts from Wales, it is precisely floating nuclear power plants (FNPPs) that offer an advantage over other energy sources today. This advantage is ensured by flexibility in choosing a location and resilience to natural disasters. The use of power and energy delivery from ship-based power plants “makes them an attractive alternative to traditional land-based nuclear facilities, especially in remote areas where the construction of large nuclear facilities is uneconomic.”
A concept for using a floating nuclear power plant. Source: “Facilitating Global Deployment of Floating Nuclear Power Plants.” World Nuclear Association.
Nuclear power plants on barges can be moored in estuaries, where water is plentiful and highly industrialized and urbanized regions require significant energy during summer and winter. Ports, estuaries, and islands are natural anchorages for FNPPs and markets for energy from floating power plants. Depending on the needs, their designs can be tailored to specific consumer groups (industrial, retail, concentrated, or distributed) during the design phase and in shipyards.
“Floating nuclear power offers a potential source of reliable, low-emission electricity and heat (and, where necessary, desalinated water) for locations where conventional energy systems are expensive, high-emission, or physically impossible to build,” emphasizes Alisa Reiner, an environmental management specialist at Yale University and an offshore energy market analyst at Intelatus Global Partners.
Onboard Reactors
Nuclear reactors have been used in marine environments for a long time. Therefore, a ship with an onboard nuclear power plant is not a new idea. A nuclear reactor as a power source was used on the USS Nautilus in 1954, and later installed on other American and Russian submarines.
Experience with the military and civilian use of nuclear power on board ships is not limited to the United States and Russia. The first civilian projects in which nuclear facilities were operated by the operational organization of a single country. They were then transported by sea and used in the territories of other countries. This was already happening in the 1960s.
The nuclear-powered passenger and cargo ship “Savannah” (USA, 1962–1972), the nuclear-powered merchant ship “Otto Hahn” (Germany, 1968–1979), and the nuclear-powered merchant ship “Mutsu” (Japan, 1974–1992) were all ships powered by low-power nuclear power plants, as the authors of the report “Facilitating Global Deployment of Floating Nuclear Power Plants” point out.
The Akademik Lomonosov floating nuclear power plant. Source: RosAtom
Civilian applications of nuclear energy at sea continued with the long-term development and operation of nuclear-powered icebreakers in the USSR, and continue today in Russia. The USSR built several icebreakers with nuclear power plants. The first was the Lenin (1957–1989), the world’s first nuclear-powered ship. Another significant example is the transport ship Sevmorput (1988–2007) with a KLT-40 reactor (PWR).
Today, nuclear-powered ships are used exclusively on the Northern Sea Route in the Russian Arctic. Icebreakers provide navigation on the Northern Sea Route. However, it should be noted that this route is still traversed by log-class ships. The Northern Sea Route can be used because, during periods of icing, it is also serviced by icebreakers with RITM-200 reactors.
The ships were commissioned between 2020 and 2024. Three more ships in the same series are under construction or under contract. Construction is underway on the first of the large Project 10510 icebreakers with two RITM-400 reactors. The nuclear icebreaker Rossiya (Project 10510 “Lider”) is being built at the Zvezda shipyard (Bolshoy Kamen, Russia). Due to delays and delivery issues, the launch is scheduled for February 2028. The ship will be equipped with a 120 MW unit.
GospodarskaMorska.pl informowała o tym tutaj.
MH-1A, STURGIS Nuclear Barge. Źródło: US Army Corps of Engineers, https://www.usace.army.mil/Media/Images/igphoto/2002242236/
The world’s first floating nuclear power plant was powered by the MH-1A reactor (Mobile High Power Reactor 1A), remind experts from the World Nuclear Association. It was installed on a World War II Liberty-class cargo ship. “Charles H. Cugle” was renamed “Sturgis” after the reactor installation. Construction of the MH-1A reactor began in 1963, and in 1967 it reached operational status. From 1968 to 1976, it supplied 10 MW of electricity to the Panama Canal Zone. The reactor was decommissioned in 1976, and the fuel was removed from it a year later.
For comparison, SMR Akademik Lomonosov is a Floating Power Unit (FPU) based in the port of Pevek in Chukotka (Russian Far East). The main task of the power plant is to supply the industrial district with electricity. The power plant can deliver 50 Gcal/h and up to 70 MW – informs ROSATOM.
Operating parameters of the Akademik Lomonosov power plant. Source: RosAtom
Nuclear energy from ship to shore
The use of reactor energy is known not only on Russian icebreakers. The Russian Akademik Lomonosov, commissioned five years ago, is an excellent example of how nuclear energy can be used not only at sea. It can also be supplied from a ship to shore-based consumers. O uruchomieniu rektora informowała GospodarkaMorska.pl
“We are currently witnessing a convergence of modular design, global energy demand, and the need for rapid, scalable solutions,” emphasized Sama Bilbao y Leon, Director General of the World Nuclear Energy Association, a proponent of a sustainable energy future, a year ago.
Sama Bilbao y Leon argues that “floating nuclear power plants, such as the Akademik Lomonosov, have proven the feasibility of delivering clean and reliable energy to remote regions.” The feasibility of building such power units in shipyards using modular techniques supports the industrial implementation of this type of solution.
The Director General of the World Nuclear Energy Association argues that “floating power plants can be quickly commissioned with minimal on-site infrastructure preparation. Their mobility allows for centralized maintenance and redeployment, making them ideal for regions with limited infrastructure or fluctuating energy demand.”
Economics and Politics Will Decide
Economics and politics will determine the use of floating nuclear power plants. Port cities, islands, and countries facing increasing energy demand will need power plants. Alisa Reiner conducted an analysis of the FNPP market. She based it on an assessment of the importance of economic and political factors. The result is “a balanced analysis of investment opportunities, not a simple map of technical possibilities,” emphasizes the offshore energy market analyst at Intelatus Global Partners.
Some markets may demonstrate strong demand for nuclear energy, but its application or implementation may be limited or hindered “due to political or economic conditions. On the other hand, countries that pass the analysis combine sufficient economic potential with a policy framework that could support further project development.”
Reiner reviewed “75 countries and territories that merit further study.” According to the adopted criteria, 14 markets “constitute a higher priority subset, with economic and policy framework scores of 2.0 or higher.” Market assessments indicate that innovative solutions such as floating nuclear power plants can be implemented by countries with “relatively stronger economic potential and more favorable political and regulatory conditions.” This prompts further design work and a more in-depth assessment of the feasibility, investor engagement, and feasibility and cost-effectiveness of solutions in selected regions.
As a result, potential beneficiaries of the launch of FNPPs could include selected countries on all continents. Sweden was singled out in the Baltic Sea region. Adopting the qualification criteria defined by Reiner, Poland can also be included among the potential users of floating nuclear power plants. Therefore, it is worthwhile to plan their mooring locations and power grids today that may prove suitable for cooperation with floating nuclear power plants in the future.
Alisa Reiner, an environmental management specialist at Yale University and an offshore energy market analyst at Intelatus Global Partners, reviewed “75 countries and territories that merit further study.”