Russia's first floating nuclear station

["Franta, Jaroslav" <frantaj@AECL.CA>]

NUCLEAR NEWS FLASHES - Monday, April 19, 2004

INTERNATIONAL:

--SEVERODVINSK WILL HOST A FLOATING COMBINED HEAT-POWER NUCLEAR PLANT, 

under a protocol just signed, said the joint stock company Small Energy

Facilities. The plant would be Russia's first floating nuclear station. The

plant, designated BNHE LPP, is estimated to cost about (U.S.)$205-million

($150-million plus financing) and take 39-42 months to build. The protocol,

signed by the Arkhangelsk regional government, allocates the site to the

project; supplier Atomenergo said the plant needs 1.5 hectares of water area

and 0.6 hectare of coast. The government said construction can proceed,

since the project received a positive environmental decision earlier. Local

ecologists are protesting the decision. The nuclear equipment including the

KLT-40S reactors will be mounted on the floating section, and the unit will

store up to 12 years of spent fuel. The KLT-40S is a variant on Russian

submarine reactors.