19.11.2007 // Profile

Interview with deputy director general of Rosenergoatom Concern Sergey Krysov

Now that Russia is running increasingly short of energy, it needs additional power generating capacities and mobile low-capacity nuclear power plants can help it to solve this problem

Today, floating nuclear power plant is considered as one of the most promising projects in the nuclear power industry. The deputy director general of Rosenergoatom Concern, the head of the Directorate for the Construction of Floating Nuclear Power Plants Sergey Krysov has told a Profile correspondent about the prospects of floating NPPs in Russia.

— Mr.Krysov, why have you decided to develop floating NPPs exactly now? It is not a new technology, is it?

We could start building floating NPPs as early as the 1970s. We started building ice-breaker reactors as much as 30 years ago. The same systems might have well been used for the production of electricity and its supply to the shore. But in the Soviet time energy sources were cheap and easy to access and there was no need for alternatives. Today, the situation is different.

— The energy demand is growing very quickly and the capacities are failing to keep pace. What is a floating nuclear power plant?

A floating nuclear power plant consists of two parts: a floating power generating unit and onshore facilities. A floating NPP is a vessel with a nuclear power plant: nuclear steam generating unit, steam turbine. In our project we have two KLT-40C reactors, designed by Nizhniy Novgorod OKBM. The electric capacity of each reactor is 38.5MW, i.e. the total capacity of the plant is 77MW. This is the so-called sea version. We also have a smaller “river” version: a plant with 12MW ABV-6 reactor. We are planning to build three such plants in Yakutia: the head of Rosatom Sergey Kiriyenko and the president of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) Vyacheslav Shtyrov have already signed a relevant agreement. The onshore facilities consist of a terminal and networks. It is not difficult to build a floating NPP: they are built in two years. They are mobile and are excellent for hard-to-get areas.

KLT-40C serves for 40 years: three 12-year inter-repair periods and two 2-year repairs. ABV-6 reactors have shorter inter-repair periods – 10 years.

We are planning to build six ABV-6 units for Yakutia – more, specifically, three plants with two of them to have two units and one more reserve unit. ABV-6 reactors serve for 10 years, then, they are taken away, repaired, refueled and brought back. The repair will take two years, in the meantime, we will use the reserve unit. All the units will be standard and interchangeable and will constitute a kind of power generating fleet: several ships are operating, one or more (depending on the size of the fleet) are under repair.

— How much does it cost to build a floating NPP?

With VAT exclusive, one floating NPP costs 8.5bln RUR (with almost 25%-30% being the cost of the steam generating system). The onshore facilities cost 1bln RUR. So, the whole project costs 9.5bln RUR. This is a preliminary estimate. The precise cost will be known when the construction is completed – in 2010.

As regards the ABV-6 floating NPPs for Yakutia, we are presently considering its financial model. This plant produces both electricity and heat (150,000–170,000 Gcal a year). This is exactly what northern areas need. They need heat throughout the year and one KWh there costs as much as 14 RUR. All this curbs the development of the local economy. We expect that, as a result of our project, the electricity tariff will drop to 4 RUR. The cost of one ABV-6 floating nuclear power unit is almost 3bln RUR. As regards the onshore facilities, it is hard yet to say how much exactly they will cost.

— What fuel do floating NPPs use?

Floating NPPs use uranium dioxide enriched to less than 20%. Ice-breakers used uranium enriched to 46%, while uranium enriched to less than 20% complies with IAEA’s nonproliferation requirements and cannot be used for production of nuclear weapons. So, we will have no problems with exporting the plants to foreign countries. In the north of Russia we are planning to build no more than 20 plants. Lots of countries are attentively following the construction of our first floating NPP in Severodvinsk. The project is not over yet but we already have specific plans to build 12 floating NPPs by 2020. Our first partner is Cabo Verde. They live on diesel fuel only and their KWh costs as much as 50 US cents. It is very hard to develop under such prices. One more potential consumer is Namibia, which also needs energy for its uranium mining industry.

— How are you going to solve the problem of serial production? In fact, we have no tradition of serial reactor production: our reactors are all unique. And how are you going to solve the problem of personnel?

You are absolutely right. All of our reactors are unique. But here we have quite a different situation. We do have serial production of ship reactors. All of our submarines are of serial manufacture. So, we are going to apply the same approach to floating NPPs.

As regards personnel, here we are creating a new profession — something like a man on an ice-breaker but, of course, without sea going. Still, we are going to apply the same rotating scheme.

— How many people a year do you need?

Let’s calculate. By 2020 we are planning, say, 12 KLT-40C plants and 10 ABV-6 plants. One crew consists of 50–70 people. One plant needs 2.5 crews: 2 crews and a half crew for extraordinary situations. That is 125–175 people per plant and 2,500–3,500 people for 20 plants.

— Do we have so many specialists?

Of course, we don’t. We will have to train them. Severodvinsk had no problems – it is a town of seamen and nuclear power engineers. But for the second project in Pevek we will already have to train people. We will have a special training center. Besides, we are negotiating with universities, particularly, with Nizhniy Novgorod Polytechnic Institute and St.Petersburg Military Engineering Institute.

— How much time do you need to arrange serial production?

The key problem of a serial production is serial order. For example, we have agreed with Yakutia to build three ABV-6 floating NPPs – it is already a series. In 2008 we are planning to start the design and in 2009 the construction.

As regards KLT-40C-based plants, we hope to get a serial order as soon as we finish building the first plant, when we will be able to show it to potential buyers. That is by 2010 we hope to have a package of orders.

— Will serial production have an influence on the price?

We will be able to say it when we finish the first plant. In case of submarines the price drops by 30%-50%. Our submarine builders say that starting from the 5^th-6^th project they reduce the price by 30%.

We must not lose positions in the field of low-capacity nuclear power engineering and mobile nuclear power engineering. The Americans have already said that they are interested in the field. South Korea is already designing desalination systems with nuclear reactors. France can also do that. So, we are already facing competition.