Floating nuclear power plants move a step closer

Floating nuclear power plants are moving a step closer. Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP), Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) and Seaborg Technologies have announced a consortium to develop floating nuclear power plants with Danish Seaborg Technologies’ molten salt reactor technology.

The power plants will be installed on barges with a modular design able to deliver from 200MWe to 800MWe, with the consortium’s first project expected to be a 200MWe power barge, reports splash247.com website.

The consortium aims to enable timely commercialisation and a scalable export of factory-produced CMSR-based floating nuclear power plants worldwide.

”KHNP’s active effort will be aimed at fostering a mutually beneficial partnership between Korea and Denmark, with a focus on cooperation in the next generation nuclear power project, for a safer and cleaner future.” said Jooho Whang, CEO of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, the company which owns and operates South Korea’s 25 nuclear power plants along with 28 hydro-electric power plants. .

“This consortium is unique for deploying nuclear power at scale,” said Navid Samandari, CEO of Seaborg Technologies. “We are proud to say we have partnered with the best for construction and operations as part of our shared mission to develop and deploy the power barges.”

Other floating nuclear power plant projects are underway in China, the US and the UK.

Caliber note: "Akademik Lomonosov" is a Russian floating nuclear thermal power plant (FNPP) of project 20870, located in the port of Pevek (Chaunsky District, Chukotka Autonomous Region), the northernmost nuclear power plant in the world. The FNPP consists of a floating power unit (FPU), an onshore platform with facilities that provide electrical and thermal energy to consumers, as well as hydraulic structures that ensure the safe parking of the FPU in the water area.The project has been implemented since 2007. It was put into commercial operation on May 22, 2020.