Russia prepares to commission 'world's first' floating nuclear plant

Russia prepares to commission 'world's first' floating nuclear plant
By Rachael Kennedy
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Russia has said it is ready to commission the "world's only" floating nuclear power plant after running a series of successful tests.

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Russia is preparing to fully commission the "world's only" floating nuclear power plant this summer after announcing it had completed a series of successful tests.

The waterborne Akademik Lomonosov plant is the creation of Russia's state-owned Rosatom nuclear energy company, which has set its sights on delivering power to remote locations in the country's north and far east.

It has been dubbed the "Chernobyl on ice" by Greenpeace.

In a statement released on Sunday, Rosatom said the plant was "fully ready for operation".

Upon receiving its license, which is expected in July, the sea-mobile plant will be towed to the remote Arctic town of Pevek, where it will eventually help to power the area.

Rosenergoatom CEO Andrey Petrov said the period of testing had been a "huge accomplishment" for the plant's specialists.

"The outcomes of the trials have shown that the technological parameters stipulated in the floating power block’s design have been achieved," he said.

Despite concerns from environmentalists over a possible waterborne repeat of the 1986 nuclear disaster at the Chernobyl power plant, Rosatom maintains the Akademik Lomonosov has been designed with a "great margin of safety".

It "exceeds all possible threats and makes nuclear reactors invincible for tsunamis and other natural disasters," the company said in a statement.

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