Russia is developing the first floating nuclear power station

The Akademik Lomonosov (Lomonosov Academy), named in honor of Mikhail Lomonosov, scientist who founded the University of Moscow, will be the first floating nuclear power station in the world.

The station, which began to be built in 2007 in the Russian city of Severodvinsk, but which was then transferred to St. Petersburg, is expected to be operational in 2019, referred to Inhabitat.

When operational, the two nuclear reactors that compose it will have the capacity to generate approximately 70 megawatts of electricity, which is enough to supply power and desalinated water to towns up to 200 thousand inhabitants.

The plant, which will operate as a ship, will be used mainly in regions with lack of electric power, but also on projects which require autonomous electricity supply and uninterrupted.

Central cost amounts to €172 million (US $ 520 million) and is expected to be manned by 69 people, who will monitor the reactors on board.

Despite having been conceived on the basis of traditional nuclear reactors that use weapons-grade uranium, the nuclear power plant reactors will work with slightly enriched uranium, allowing a lower fuel consumption and a lower cost of waste management. When using slightly enriched uranium, the Akademik Lomonosov is going to be to comply with the rules of the International Atomic Energy Agency, whose aim is to prevent this type of fuel is stolen for the use of nuclear weapons.

But, still, couldn't the Russia develop a project on renewable energies, rather than continue to insist on nuclear?

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