Rosatom plans to build a nuclear power plant equipped with an RITM-200 small modular reactor in the village of Ust-Kuyga, in Yakutia, which is in Far Eastern Russia. The land-based small nuclear plant will be able to supply electricity to isolated power systems or remote areas and consumers.

The latest RITM-200 design is the result of 400 reactor-years’ worth of combined experience operating small reactors on ships in Russia’s fleet of nuclear-powered icebreakers, Rosatom said. To date, six reactors of the RITM series have already been manufactured and installed on three new universal icebreakers. The lead icebreaker, Arktika, completed trial operations on 21 October.

"Over the course of pre-design fieldwork, Rosatom specialists carried out various engineering surveys to evaluate the suitability of the chosen site, including a hydrometeorological survey, an environmental survey, a geodetic survey, and a geological survey, amongst others," Rosatom said. "In particular, these surveys included soil and core sampling by drilling wells, water sampling, reconnaissance studies, and the creation of a reference geodetic network, amongst others. Subsequent steps include the laboratory evaluation of collected samples, the preparation of a final report on the results of pre-design surveys for the selection of a construction location."

The LK-60 icebreakers Arktika, Sibir and Ural are dual-draught (8.55 or 10.5m) wide-beam (34m) ships of 25,450 dwt or 33,540 dwt with ballast, able to handle 3m of ice. They each have two RITM-200 reactors of 175 MWt each, delivering 60 MWe at the propellers via twin turbine-generators and three motors. Arktika enters operation this year, Sibir in 2021 and Ural in 2022.