atw Vol. 63 (2018) | Issue 3 ı March
Design Refueling interval, years Lifetime, years Development stage
ABV-6 10–12 50 – Pilot reactor and NPP unit Volnolom – detailed design (1993)
– FNPP for the Far North – feasibility study
– Nuclear co-generation plant for Kazakstan – feasibility study
– Pilot bench – in operation
KLT-40S 2.5–3 40* – Equipment for two reactors – supplied to the
FNPP Akademik Lomonosov
RITM-200 4.5–5 40* – Two reactors for the pilot universal icebreaker – preparation
for complete shipment (2016)
– Reactors for the next two icebreakers – scheduled supply
in 2018 and 2019, respectively
VBER-300 1.5–2 60 – NPP with two VBER-300 units – quotation (2002)
– VBER-300 reactor facility – conceptual design (2004)
– VBER-300 units for Kazakhstan – detailed design (2007–2009)
VBER-600 1.5–2 60 – 100 – 600 MW capacity range – concept (2007–2008)
– NPP with VBER-460/600 – R&D (2008–2012)
* – allows for extension to 60 years
| | Tab. 2.
SMR designs under development.
our country. President of the Russian Federation has approved
the “Fundamentals of the Russian State Policy in
the Arctic to 2020 and beyond” (2008) and the “Strategy of
the Russian Arctic Zone Development and National
Security Assurance to 2020” (2013). The following aspects
of the tasks to be solved should be emphasized: first, a
state-of-the-art computerized energy infrastructure should
be an integral part of the comprehensive socioeconomic
development of the Arctic. Second, many large-scale oil/
gas and other projects are now underway in the Arctic.
Third, long distances between – and unreliable energy
supplies to – local communities are a specific feature of the
Russian Arctic. Local conditions require a distributed
energy supply system, which should account for both
extreme operating conditions. On the whole, the Arctic
energy supply system consists of onshore and offshore
components. The latter are based on the practical
experience of efficient application of Russian shipbuilding
technologies…”
Indeed, Russian nuclear designers are experienced in
developing and operating ship reactors, both for the Navy
and for the civil fleet. Table 2 [5] lists the designs produced
by OKBM Afrikantov, the country’s leading developer of
small and medium reactors (6 – 600 MW).
Another well-known RD&D institute, NIKIET, has
developed a family of SNPPs with capacities ranging from
1 to 20 MWe, including facilities such as Shelf and Uniterm
of about 6 MWe each [6].
Developers of conventional stationary reactors also do
not lose hope to join the competition for entering the
future SNPP market. For example, VVER developers are
already offering an integral facility (VVER-I) of 100, 200
and 300 MW. This design is based on the natural circulation
of coolant, so it couples higher safety with compact
equipment, thus allowing for modular arrangement of the
NPP.
Another SNPP development line is presented by smaller
units of 0.5–1 MWe (5–10 MWt) that can be deployed on
the basis of unmanned autonomous thermoelectric power
plants.
Practical feasibility of this class of energy sources is
confirmed by the Kurchatov Institute’s experience in
constructing power facilities based on the direct
heat-to-electricity conversion. Romashka built in 1962 as a
pilot facility intended for space applications was the first
such facility in the world. In 1982, the Kurchatov Institute
has built and launched Gamma – a prototype thermoelectric
facility intended for ship applications [1] – which
| | Fig. 4.
Gamma – a prototype unmanned underwater power source
(launched in 1982).
has operated for many years and made it possible
to perform an exhaustive scope of studies and tests
(Figure 4).
In the mid-80ies, proceeding from the Gamma’s
successful operating experience, the design of Elena NPP
was developed in the framework of conversion programs.
This type of power facilities is based on the following three
cornerstones:
• water-water reactor with power self-regulation as a
heat source;
• heat removal by natural circulation of coolant in the
primary and secondary circuit;
• thermoelectric conversion of heat into electricity.
As a result, such facilities – whose technical feasibility is
now doubtless – offer considerable advantages compared
to those based on turbine energy conversion.
3 Nuclear technologies for the
development of the Arctic shelf
As concerns the Arctic shelf development, the Energy
Strategy of Russia to 2035 estimates the country’s
continental shelf to contain 90 billion tons of oil equivalent
(toe), including 16 billion tons of oil with condensate and
74 trillion m 3 of gas. About 70% of these resources find
themselves on the Barents, Pechora and Kara Sea shelves,
which together make about a half of the Russian Arctic
shelf. Experts forecast that by 2035 Russia will annually
produce up to 30 million tons of oil and 130 billion m 3 of
gas on its Arctic shelf.
The averaged total electricity demand by the hydrocarbon
production industry is estimated above 3 GW, so
ENERGY POLICY, ECONOMY AND LAW 151
Energy Policy, Economy and Law
Russian Nuclear Energy Technologies for the Development of the Arctic ı Andrej Yurjewitsch Gagarinskiy
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