Russia has expressed readiness to engage any African government that is interested in adopting the use of floating nuclear power plant to address energy supply challenges and ensure sustainable development.

Although there are land-based nuclear power plants across Europe, United States of America, Asia and South Africa, Russia is the first country in the world to have designed and operated floating nuclear power plant since August 2020.

The floating nuclear power plant – Akademik Lomonosov – was named after the 18th century Russian scientist, Mikhail Lomonosov.

The plant is located in Pevek, and it serves the Chukotka Region, the northernmost and coldest part of Russia.

It is equipped with two KLT-40S reactor systems each, with a 35MWe capacity similar to those used on icebreakers.

Designed by Russian nuclear scientists and naval architects, the vessel is 144 metres long and 30 metres wide, and it has a displacement of 21,000 tonnes.

The Editor of Energy News Africa Limited, Mr Michael Creg Afful, had a rare opportunity to tour the facility with some reporters from South Africa, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Indonesia and India at the instance of Russia’s state nuclear power corporation ROSATOM.

The reporters were welcomed by Andrey Valeryevich Zaslavsky, the Chief Engineer of the Floating Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP).

He took the reporters through the operations of the FNPP.

After his presentation, Viktor Nikolayevich Chyorny, the Deputy Chief Engineer for Engineering Support and Quality, conducted the reporters to tour the facility.