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.