Rosatom's floating nuclear power plant, Akademik Lomonosov, in Pevek, Russia's Chukotka Autonomous Region, was opened to visitors for the first time as part of a public tour. Ecologists, academics and representatives of public associations participated in the study, led by Alexey Yekidin, one of the leading researchers of the Institute of Industrial Ecology of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Participants visited the floating nuclear power plant in order to collect and analyze data on environmental and radiation safety, as well as to evaluate the facility and its general operation, and to share the results with the public. Environmentalists made various measurements both in and around the station and in the city of Pevek.
The findings revealed that background radiation, both around the floating nuclear power plant and in the city of Pevek, is caused by only natural sources, such as natural radionuclides and cosmic radiation. According to the findings, it was also determined that the average value of the said radiation did not exceed 0.12 μSv/h in both regions.
Alexey Yekidin, one of the leading researchers of the Institute of Industrial Ecology of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said in a statement on the subject: “More than 20 measurements were made in the industrial zone of the Floating Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP), around it and in the city of Pevek, and artificial No radionuclide was detected. Therefore, it was concluded that the operation of the floating nuclear power plant does not adversely affect the radioecological condition of the region.
In his statement, Alan Khasiev, Chairman of the Coordination Council of the Interregional Public Environmental Movement “Oka”, said, “Our program has been implemented since 2010. During this time we have conducted 44 full-scale environmental inspection visits to many of the Russian-designed NPPs operating both in Russia and abroad, as well as to NPPs under construction. The ecological trip around Pevek with the floating nuclear power plant is the final stage of this program.
Green Party member and biologist Larisa Kosyuk made the following assessments: “The FNPP Project can set an example for green technologies in the energy sector in the context of carbon emissions regulation introduced by the EU. Such power plants would be particularly beneficial in the Arctic and Far East regions of Russia, where hydrological energy resources are lacking and transportation of fuels such as coal and petroleum products is costly. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, nuclear power is the world's second largest energy source, accounting for 10% of the world's electricity production.”
Kirill Toropov, Deputy Regional Director of Rosenergoatom A.Ş., who told the participants of the study tour about the changes that have occurred in the town since the floating nuclear power plant was connected to the grid, said: “The floating nuclear power plant not only brought an additional energy source, but also in the energy sector of the region and the country in general. It has also opened a new page in the development of Small Modular Reactors (SMR) technologies in the energy sector. Since its commissioning, FNPP has proven to be a reliable and innovative source of thermal and electrical energy. Restoration of flora and fauna in both Pevek city and Chaunskaya Bay with a 30% reduction in coal soot emissions from the Chaunskaya CHPP (combined heat and power generation power plant) and the return of seals and other marine animals to the surrounding water It is impossible not to notice its positive contribution to the improvement of the environmental situation in the masses.”
Pevek Mayor Ivan Leyushkin, who pointed out that the study tour is of great importance in terms of informing the residents about the safety of nuclear production, also made the following statements regarding the important role played by the NPP in the development of the region: , projects worth 107 million rubles were implemented. Our cooperation with Rosatom will continue in the future. In September of this year, a cooperation agreement was signed between the Governor of the Chukotka Autonomous Region Roman Kopin and the General Director of Rosatom Alexey Likhachev.”
Be the first to comment