Russian state atomic energy corporation Rosatom presented a new type of small modular reactor (SMR), at the Africa Energy Indaba Forum. During the conference, which took place in Cape Town on the 3rd and 4th of March, Ryan Collyer, acting CEO of Rosatom Central and Southern Africa, highlighted the global shift towards nuclear, not only in the energy sector but in addressing a myriad of other issues. 

“We are working hard to do our part in delivering the great stories from our industry – to highlight its true potential to become a catalyst for sustainable development in Africa. We all understand that nuclear will play a vital role in achieving the United Nations sustainability goals, not only in Africa, but across the globe,” said Collyer.

Collyer’s speech focused on the use of nuclear technologies for heat and electricity supply, as well as desalination purposes. “Rosatom SMRs can be a good alternative to diesel generators, providing reliable power supply and preventing harmful emissions at a competitive price,” said Collyer.

Collyer placed special emphasis on Rosatom’s current developments in the field of SMRs. In particular, he presented RITM-200, an advanced pressurised-water reactor that incorporates all the best features from its predecessors. “The main advantages of RITM-200 reactor are cost-efficiency, small size and safety. RITM-200 is designed for nuclear icebreakers, land-based small NPPs, and floating nuclear power plants,” said Collyer. 

RITM-200 is a reference reactor - Rosatom has already constructed six RITM-200 reactors, and two reactors onboard the Arktika icebreaker have already attained criticality.

Collyer also outlined the features of the floating nuclear power plant that was connected to the grid at the end of 2019. At present, Rosatom is working on the next generation of the offshore nuclear power plants – an optimised floating power unit.