The world’s only floating NPP first connected to the grid of the autonomous Chaun-Bilibino hub four years ago

Moscow – On December 19, 2019, the world’s only floating nuclear thermal power plant was first connected to the grid of the autonomous Chaun-Bilibino hub in Western Chukotka.

That year, Power, a reputable magazine, declared the plant connection one of the six key events of the year in nuclear energy. And the following year, 2020, the FNPP was honored with a prestigious award at the Asian Power Awards as the best nuclear power plant of 2020.

This year, on 19 December they also completed the scheduled maintenance of the first reactor of the Akademik Lomonosov floating power unit (FPU) of the FNPP. This year, the maintenance activities aimed at improving the reactor reliability and safety included unique safe refueling operations which for the first time were carried out on board the floating nuclear power plant at its home port in the city of Pevek. Next year, 2024, the maintenance also including the refueling operations is to be carried out at the left side reactor on board the Akademik Lomonosov FPU.

The floating nuclear thermal power plant (FNPP, a project of Rosenergoatom, Joint-Stock Company, Rosatom Electric Power Division) has supplied about 722 million kW/h of electricity to the autonomous grid of the Chaun-Bilibino energy hub (the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug) since its connection to the grid (as of December 19, 2023). This energy is enough to meet the electricity needs of Chukotka for approximately one year.

“Today, the FNPP continues to create favorable conditions for the economic development of the Chaunsky and Bilibinsky districts of Chukotka. Now we cover more than 55% of the needs of the entire autonomous energy hub and with the Bilibino NPP output taken into account, the share of nuclear generation has reached 88%,” said Viktor Elagin, FNPP Director.

One of the tasks set for the FNPP in this region is to be the energy base for the full-scale production at the main deposits of the Baimsk ore zone. Among the consumers of the FNPP energy is Peschanka, the largest deposit and the basis of the promising Baimsky mining and processing facility.