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The world’s first floating nuclear power plant (FNPP), which was being constructed in St Petersburg, in Russia, would be operational by the fourth quarter of 2012, Russian diversified corporation United Industrial Corporation (OPK) has reported.
The construction of the plant, which was being undertaken by OPK’s subsidiary Baltiysky Zavod for Russian nuclear power plant operator Concern Energoatom, was due for completion in the second quarter of 2012, after which it would undergo testing.
On May 14, OPK had reported that the project could cost about 9-billion roubles.
At the time, it said that the project, which would be set in service in Kamchatka, in the port of Viluchinsk, in Russia, would consist of a nonself-propelled vessel with two icebreaker class reactors.
It noted on Monday that the exploitation of the head floating power-generating unit, with a KLT-40C type reactor, would be the final step of this project.
OPK stated that the global economic crisis favoured the development of the FNPP project, owing to increased energy demand.
The developers expected to see increased demand for such projects in industrialised and developing regions in the world, owing to the fact that the cost a kilowatt hour of an FNPP was equal to that of a hydropower station.
Russia is the first country to build a FNPP. Similar projects have been planned in other countries, but have never been completed.
According to data released by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the demand for atomic energy would increase by 66% globally by 2030.
