Akademik Lomonosov FPU to be towed to Murmansk in May 2018, to Pevek – by August 2019
FBI Marine Rescue Service of Rosmorrechflot (Federal Marine and River Transport Agency) will provide a package of services on towing and maneuvering related to transportation of the Akademik Lomonosov FPU (floating power unit Project 20870) from Big Port St. Petersburg to the port of Murmansk and its standard towing from Murmansk to the port of Pevek. According to the official website of the Unified Procurement Information System, the simplified procurement procedure was performed by Rosenergoatom Concern.
The cost of works totals RUB 474.7 million.
Under the draft agreement, the first phase (April 20 – May 20, 2018) will include the following operations: the Akademik Lomonosov FPU with no nuclear fuel will be towed from the territory of the Baltiysky Zavod shipyard (Saint-Petersburg) to the berth of FSUE Aomflot in the port of Murmansk. Estimated average speed of the convoy moving along the route is 4.5 knots if hydro- and meteo-conditions are favorable and there are no circumstance to cause any delay.
The second phase (June 30 – August 1, 2019) – standard towing of fueled FPU with crewmembers onboard from the port of Murmansk to the port of Pevek (berth of the floating nuclear power plant). Estimated average speed of the convoy moving along the route is 3.5 knots if hydro- and meteo-conditions are favorable and there are no circumstance to cause any delay.
The draft agreement provides for a convoy escort by a ship of RF Navy to ensure physical protection of FPU during both phases.
The floating power unit (FPU) of Project 20870 is to operate as a part of floating nuclear power plant. The station is equipped with KLT-40 C reactors generating up to 70 MW of electricity and 50 Gcal / h of heat energy in the nominal operating mode, which is enough to support the city with a population of more than 200 000 people. The floating power unit is intended for operation in the Far North and in the Far East regions.
The lead FPU, the Akademik Lomonosov FPU, is intended for the floating nuclear power plant in Pevek (the Chukotka Autonomous District). It is a unique project of the world’s first mobile power unit of low capacity. The main purpose of the project is to supply power to large industrial enterprises, port cities as well as offshore gas and oil platforms. The lead project is based on proven-in-use power plants of serial nuclear-powered icebreakers operated in the Arctic for a long time.
FNPP is to replace the Bilibino NPP which generates 80% of the electricity produced by the closed-loop Chaun-Bilibino energy system, a pioneer nuclear power plant built in the Arctic region (in Chukotka). Shutdown of the first power plan unit is scheduled for 2019 with the entire Bilibino NPP to stop operation in 2021.
FPU characteristics: LOA: 140 m, beam: 30 m, draft: 5.56 m, displacement – 21,500 tonnes, crew – 69.
The facility can easily be converted into a desalination plant producing up to 240,000 cbm / day of fresh water. The floating plant’s design service life is 35 to 40 years. Reactor refueling is to be performed every 2.5 - 3 years.
The floating nuclear power plant is overdesigned to meet all the possible risks and ensure the reactors’ unvulnerability in case of tsunami and other disasters. Nuclear processes comply with all the requirements of International Atomic Energy Agency and present no risks for the environment.
Related links:
Coastal facilities and hydraulic engineering structures under FNPP project in Chukotka to be completed in August 2019 >>>>
United Shipbuilding Corp: the floating co-generation plant Akademik Lomonosov is 96% complete >>>>
Port Pevek (Chukotka) welcomes this year’s first vessels with construction materials for the world’s first FNPP >>>>
Construction of coastal infrastructure for world’s first floating NPP starts in Chukotka (photo) >>>>
