As SA awaits the finalisation of the country’s long-term plan for electricity generation, Russian state atomic energy corporation Rosatom is proposing the introduction of floating nuclear power stations as part of the future energy mix.
The only such power station in the world, the 70MW Akademik Lomonosov has been in operation in the arctic port of Pevek in northeast Siberia, where it has been providing electricity to the Russian town since 2019.
Rosatom is now building another four such reactor vessels that will be deployed in the other cities along Russia’s northern sea route, also known as the Trans-Arctic Transport Corridor.
Ryan Collyer, CEO of Rosatom Central and Southern Africa says such floating power units (FPU) offer a flexible, scalable and environmentally responsible solution, it minimises the need for complex land-based infrastructure, reduces the time and cost of deployment, and can be relocated based on evolving energy needs.
“At Rosatom, we believe the FPU is not only relevant, it is essential for enabling inclusive, sustainable growth across SA and the broader continent.”
SA’s long-term plan for electricity generation, the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), is expected to be finalised later this year.
It is hoped this long-awaited policy document will provide clarity about the amount of electricity generation capacity that is to be added to the grid over the next decade or so, as well as the technology mix.
Government has been consistent in its efforts to include nuclear in the future energy mix as a clean energy to replace baseload coal supply despite questions about affordability. It has in recent years however qualified its inclusion by saying the country will add nuclear “at a pace and scale we can afford.”
Minister of energy & electricity Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has increasingly emphasised the need for nuclear generation and recently appointed an expert panel to advise him on the pace and scale of the nuclear build programme.
High on his agenda is small modular reactors (SMRs), of which the Russian FPU is an example. Ramokgopa described the development of SMRs as the “cutting edge of human development” and said that ignoring it would be ignorant.
China is the only other country with an operational model but the race is on in many other countries to develop their own SMRs.
The Akademik Lomonosov is a vessel 140m long and 30m wide, specially designed for the Pevek mooring. It has two 35MW reactors based on those used in Russian nuclear icebreakers for years and has a work life of 40 years, which can be extended, much like the life extension Eskom embarked on for the Koeberg nuclear power station.
Its fuel must be replaced every four to five years and spent fuel can be temporarily stored on board.
It provides electricity to the town of Pevek, including the port operations there, as part of the regional Chaun-Bilibino power system as well as heat to the residents of Pevek.
Pevek is remote, with extremely limited access over land. Building a land-based power station in the arctic town with its extreme weather conditions and long, dark winter would have been all but impossible.
The floating power unit is a good solution for such locations where there are no routes and logistics, according to Kirill Klimenko, head of the reactor-turbine equipment operation service on board the Akademik Lomonosov.
It was initially built in the Baltic Shipyard in Saint Petersburg, from where it was towed to Murmansk to receive nuclear fuel for the first time. The 5,000km to its final destination in Pevek took about 14 days and was led by the icebreaker Dikson.
Similarly, an FPU can be transported to any port on the globe and if circumstances require it, it can be moved from one location to another, Klimenko says.
Collyer says the FPU represents a revolutionary step forward in addressing Africa’s pressing energy challenges.
“Across the continent, energy security remains a critical issue, and many remote coastal regions face limitations in grid connectivity. This technology provides not only reliable baseload electricity, but also opens opportunities for desalination, industrial development and local job creation.”
Nikolay Shamambayev, a young engineer who works on the Akademic Lomonosov and lives with his wife Anastasia in Pevek, says when he arrived in 2020 the town’s coal power station and heat plant was still in operation. The snow and frost were black and there was always black coal dust on the windows.
This has changed since the coal technology was replaced with the Akademic Lomonosov’s clean nuclear technology. Now the snow is white as it should be, and residents don’t have to wash their windows as frequently as before.
At many remote locations in Africa uninterrupted electricity generation relies on fossil fuels with the associated impact on the health of communities and the environment.
“Nuclear technology offers a potential solution to the problem, which is the replacement of these facilities with land or floating SMR-based nuclear power plants," said Rosatom.
• Disclaimer: Slabbert visited the Akademic Lomonosov in Pevek, Russia as a guest of the state atomic energy corporation Rosatom
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