Rosatom is expected to decide on the construction of a second low-power NPP (ASMM – Atomnoi Stantsii Maloi Moshnosti) with a RITM-200N reactor plant in Yakutia, Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev told the 8th Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok. Rosatom is building a ASMM in the village of Ust-Kuiga in Yakutia with a RITM-200N reactor unit with a capacity of 55 MWe. It will provide electricity for the development of the Kyuchus gold deposit, the deposits of the Kular gold-bearing region, the Tirekhtyakh Stream tin deposit and the Deputatsky tin deposit deposits, as well as the development of other deposits of the mining cluster in Northern Yakutia.

“We are finalising agreements with Seligdar that will allow us to double this capacity,” said Likhachev. “The foundation and construction camp that we have now launched are currently intended for one unit. I think that within a few weeks we will reach agreements to supplement it,”

The possibility of doubling the capacity of the ASMM was first announced in April by Rusatom Overseas, which is responsible for the implementation of this project. Taking into account the significant prospects for further growth of the economy of the Arctic regions of Yakutia and an increase in electricity consumption, the government of the republic approached Rosatom with a proposal to consider the possibility of increasing the capacity of the Yakut NPP to 110 MWe, Rusatom Overseas said.

Likhachev also told the Forum that Rosatom is moving towards serial construction of ASMMs for the Arctic and far east using a conveyor belt method. He noted that the Akademik Lomonosov floating NPP was already operating in Pevek, and four more will soon be added to supply power to the Baimsky Mining & Processing Plant.

As well as the ASMM being built at the Kyuchus gold deposit, a Shelf-M !0 MWe micro-NPP is being developed to power gold mining in Chukotka.

Likhachev said the total needs in the Arctic and far east for floating NPPs and ASMMs over the next 10-15 years will be 15 units and there will be more later. He added that thee industrial and technological potential of Rosatom makes it possible to produce a larger number of small nuclear units not only for the Russian Federation, but also for export.

Image: Visualisation of RITM-based small reactor installation planned for Yakutia (courtesy of Rosatom)