By:
Ronnel W. Domingo - 04:08 AM December 23, 2019
The world’s first small
modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) have started delivering electricity to a
coastal town in Russia, firming up their potential for use in small power grids
in geographically fragmented markets such as the Philippines.
According to the World
Nuclear Association (WNA), the power barge Akademik Lomonosov—installed with
two SMRs with a combined output of 64 megawatts—has started commercial
operations, providing “much needed clean electricity and heat to this remote
arctic community” of Pevek town in the Russian Far East.
“It is fantastic to see this innovative new
floating nuclear power plant begin operating just in time for the winter
celebrations,” WNA director general Agneta Rising said in a statement. Akademik
Lomonosov, a project of state firm Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corp., replaced
an old nuclear power plant as well as a coal-fired power plant that provided
electricity to at least 50,000 people in the area.
To mark the occasion,
electricity from the new facility was used to turn on Christmas tree lights in
the town.
The London-based WNA
said the pioneering SMRs represent “an important evolution in nuclear
technology” as they complement large reactors since SMRs expand the range of
useful nuclear applications.
“There are around 50
advanced nuclear technologies under development at the moment with many
countries pursuing novel designs and seeking to use nuclear technology for new
and exciting applications,” Rising said.
“Th[ese] may be the
world’s first SMR, but many more will soon follow,” she added. “These smaller
reactors are well-suited for supplying electricity to hard-to-reach regions as
well as serving smaller grids and industrial centers.”
When Rosatom group
launched Akademik Lomonosov from St. Petersburg in 2018, their director general
Alexey Likhachev said they saw “great interest from all island nations where it
is difficult, for various reasons, to set up a developed centralized power
transmission infrastructure.”
Likhachev was alluding
to archipelagos such as the Philippines, where Rosatom is working with the
Duterte administration on studying the feasibility of building in this country
onshore or offshore SMRs.
In November 2017,
Rosatom signed with the Department of Energy (DOE) a memorandum of cooperation,
which the DOE said would enable the country to come up with national policies
for the development of safe and secure power generation practices through
nuclear energy.
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