Experts from the Moscow Centre of the World Association of operators (WANO) has completed an inspection at the Akademik Lomonosov floating NPP (PATES – Plavuchaya Atomnaya TeploElektroStantsiya) in Pevek, Chukotka, nuclear utility Rosenergoatom (part of Rosatom) reported.
For two weeks, 13 experts from WANO Moscow assessed the compliance of the floating power unit with the best international practices. In addition, a partner verification also took place at a separate division of the PATES in St Petersburg with the participation of a representative of the People’s Republic of China.
During the visit, the experts monitored the work of the operational staff and analysed the technical documentation. The international team focused on such critical areas as organisation of operation, maintenance and repair; engineering support; radiation protection; use of operational experience; emergency preparedness; and other areas. As a result of the audit, several areas for improvement were identified, but fewer than during the previous audit in 2022.
“This result puts the NPP on a par with the best Russian nuclear power plants – Balakovo and Kalinin NPP and speaks to the high professionalism of the NPP managers and employees who maintain the safety and operation level of the NPP at the level of the best Russian and international practices,” said PATES Director Viktor Yelagin. “This was possible thanks to the daily painstaking work to improve the production activities of all managers and employees of the PATES.”
In addition to working together on the production site, a rich cultural programme was prepared for the members of the international expert group, which allowed them to become better acquainted with the Far North. The experts visited the Chaunsky Museum of Local Lore, where they learned about the ancient history of Chukotka, the way of life of indigenous peoples and Arctic exploration.
They also visited the Representative Office of the Wrangel Island State Nature Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where they leaned about the features of the unique island ecosystem. A special event was a view from the top of a local of Pevek, Chaunskaya Bay with the floating nuclear thermal power plant standing at the pier.
Akademik Lomonosov, which began operation in 2020, supplies energy to the main mining enterprises located in the west of Chukotka, in the Chaun-Bilibinsky energy hub – a large ore and metal cluster that includes gold mining companies and projects related to the development of the Baim ore zone. The total capacity of the NPP supplied to the Pevek coastal network excluding the consumption of thermal energy by the shore is about 70 MWe, or 44 MWe when operating in the mode of maximum heat output. The population of Pevek is a little over 4,000, while the NPP can potentially provide electricity to a city with a population of up to 100,000.
