Regine June 15, 2006 green

Floating atomic plant for Russia

Russia is to build the world’s first floating nuclear plant to provide power for remote areas.

The plant will be built at an Arctic site where atomic submarines are made and is due to begin generating in 2010. Work is expected to start next year on two nuclear reactors and the 144m (475ft) platform for them, despite environmentalists’ concerns.

“There are risks of the unit itself sinking, there are risks in towing the units to where they need to be,” explained Charles Digges, editor of Bellona.

But Sergei Kiriyenko, head of Russia’s Federal Atomic Power Agency, dismissed such concerns, saying the country had more experience of building nuclear submarines than any other in the world.

“There will be no floating Chernobyl,” he said.

Via BBC news.

4Comments

Add yours

1

Joosypigeon on June 15, 2006 at 10:13 am

From an engineering point of view this is so exciting.
From a survival of the human race point of view its *so* stupid.
2

Pedro Markun on June 15, 2006 at 7:56 pm

“There will be no floating Chernobyl,” he said.
Yup, never thought he would said otherwise…
It’s indeed stupid =)
3

Crosius on June 15, 2006 at 10:04 pm

Nuclear submarines have been floating around in the oceans since the 50s, they sink, catch fire , crash, leak and sometimes even shoot at each other.
At least a power-plant is intended for use in low-risk environments.
This is probably less risky that combining a coal-fired plant and a strip mining operation at a single location.
4

professor on June 18, 2006 at 9:38 pm

We have had floating nuclear power stations for last 30 years; they called nuclear powered USA aircraft carriers. I do not see anyone making much fuss about them. At least Russians are building something that will give people electricity, not something for carpet bombing innocent people in oil rich countries.