"Academician Lomonosov" Floating Nuclear Power Plant Passes Two-Week Audit by International Experts, with Significantly Fewer Findings Compared to 2022

An international team of inspectors at the Arctic port of Pevek conducted a two-week safety assessment of the Akademik Lomonosov, the world's only operating floating nuclear power plant. The experts observed daily operations and studied documentation in key areas. The audit focused on management organization, engineering support, maintenance and repair, radiation protection, and preparedness for various emergency scenarios.

The final report shows a significant reduction in the number of findings compared to inspections prior to 2022. This is attributed to the professionalism of management and staff, who followed domestic and international best practices, thereby achieving a high level of safety and operational culture. At the core of the plant are two KLT-40S reactor systems, which have performed reliably on nuclear icebreakers. Each reactor generates 35 megawatts of electricity, totaling 70 megawatts combined, while the thermal energy produced is delivered to the city's district heating network.

The vessel, named after the renowned 18th-century scientist Mikhail Lomonosov, is a non-self-propelled steel barge measuring 144 meters in length and 30 meters in width, with a total displacement of 21,000 tons. It is permanently moored at coastal infrastructure, providing mobile energy to remote coastal communities, supplying electricity and heat to local grids under harsh polar conditions. Its design concept is based on marine vessels but employs small modular reactor technology.

When the plant exhausts its resources, spent fuel will be removed and transported to onshore storage facilities, ensuring that no radioactive traces are left in the Arctic. This unique floating nuclear power plant not only provides a solution to energy needs in extreme environments but also demonstrates Russia's innovative capabilities and commitment to sustainable development in nuclear energy technology.