Risø has together with the Danish Emergency Management Agency published the yearly report "Kernekraft og Nuklear sikkerhed 2006" - Nuclear power and nuclear safety 2006. Among other things, the year 2006 presented a new initiative from US Department of Energy, that shall help prevent the increase in nuclear weapons and Russia is on its way with a floating nuclear unit.
Floating nuclear power
“If Mohammed won’t come to the mountain – the mountain must go to Mohammed”. That is what you, more or less, can say about the newest initiative from Russia – to build floating nuclear power plants on barges.
The aim of the floating power plants is to ensure that desolated spots of the country that can be difficult to supply with power, energy and fuel, can get their energy directly from ships in a harbour nearby. In the spring 2006, the Russian government signed a contract with a ship yard that is to build a prototype. The prototype will cost more than 1 billion DKK and is expected to be ready in 2010. The interest in the Russian design is already great.
“The new about supplying desolated regions is – apart from the obvious reasons – is that local nuclear wastes are not an issue. After the 10-15 years the reactors’ fuel lasts, the ship will be removed and the area will not be contaminated”, says head of programme Bent Lauritzen and continues “Nuclear power at boats have existed for many years e.g. at icebreakers. This type of energy makes it easier for the ships to make longer journeys without having to be concerned about fuel. The Russians have many years of experience with this type of reactors.”
The plan is to place two 150 MW reactor units onboard the ships, which amounts to a tenth of a normal reactor unit. So we are dealing with reasonably small units. On shore a power station is to be build to distribute the power.
You can read more about floating nuclear power, nuclear terror emergency and the new initiatives in nuclear power in the report (the report is in Danish). If you have questions, you are welcome to contact Bent Lauritzen at telephone +45 46 77 49 06 or by email bent.lauritzen@risoe.dk
Did you know, that:
- US Department of Energy in 2006 appointed the committee Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP), which shall help propagate reasonably use of nuclear power on and the propagate anti dissemination of nuclear weapons, at the same time, internationally
- Nuclear power has increased its popularity in the world. This is based on the increasing interest from countries, that has not yet have nuclear power, but also on the fact that countries such as Japan, South-Korea are expected to expand their use in the coming years
- The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expects that nuclear power capacity will expand with 20-40% over the next 20 years
- At the end of 2006 there were 438 operational nuclear reactors internationally which equals an installed effect of 369 GWe
- At the end of 2006 29 units were under construction internationally
- Only Finland and France have decided to build new nuclear plants in Europe.
- In France, almost 80% of the power supply is covered by nuclear power
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