The first heat from Russia’s Akadmik Lomonosov floating nuclear power plant (FNPP), was delivered to the 5th microdistrict of the city of Pevek (Chukotka Autonomous Region) on 30 June, nuclear utility Rosenergoatom announced.
“So far, the FNPP has generated only electricity. From today, it will produce two products: in addition to electricity, it also provides heating,” said Vitaly Trutnev, director of the Directorate for the Construction and Operation of FNPPs at Rosenergoatom.
“Let me remind you that the FNPP was originally intended to gradually replace the Chaunsk combined heat and power plant (CHPP), the oldest coal plant in Chukotka, commissioned back in 1944,” Trutnev said.
With connection to the 5th microdistrict, that part of the city was transferred to a closed system of urban water supply.
Traditionally, the water supply in Pevek was an “open scheme", whereby hot water for apartments comes directly from the heating network. A disadvantage of such a system is that in the event of a heating outage, the hot water is also turned off.
Connecting the rest of the city to the FNPP will be phased in as soon as the urban heating networks are ready, Rosatom said. Eventually the FNPP will be able to completely replace the capacities of the Chaunskaya CHPP.
The FNPP was commissioned in May, becoming the 11th nulcear power plant in Russia and the northernmost in the world. It has generated more than 57GWh of electricity since being connected to the grid. The power capacity of the FNPP is 70MWe, and the thermal capacity is up to 50Gcal /h. Currently it provides about 30% of the needs of the Chaun-Bilibino energy centre, and in the future it will fully cover the growing energy needs of Chukotka, and the region.
Photo: In June, Akadmik Lomonosov started providing heating (Photo: Rosenergoatom)
