The photo is sourced from strana-rosatom.ru
“It is already evident that the capacity of our basic model of the 100 MW small nuclear reactor can be excessive for some of our goals and objectives. That said, it is an environmentally friendly, stable and in-demand source of electricity. To meet this customer demand, we have developed the Shelf-M reactor technology. It’s a very small modular reactor with a capacity of up to 10 MW,” he said.
A microreactor of this type could be installed, inter alia, at the Chukotka-based Sovinoye gold deposit, the license for which is owned by Elkon, which forms part of Rosatom’s mining division, ARMZ.
“We have selected the location for the first microreactor, and the development of the basic design is now in full swing. We plan to complete it in 2024 so as to put the unit into operation by 2030,” Mr. Komarov said.
Rosatom stresses that the demand for small nuclear reactors is rising around the world. For instance, Rosatom signed an agreement with Mongolia’s Mon-Atom on the sidelines of COP28 to potentially build a small NPP in Mongolia.
“More than 70 projects for small modular reactors are at the design stage around the world. Rosatom is the only technology company that has moved from words to action. When we are implementing our projects for Yakutia and Chukotka today, we strive to demonstrate the economic efficiency and reliability of small nuclear power plants. We are confident that the experience we are gaining will allow us in the coming years to offer our partners worldwide the best SNPP solutions,” Mr. Komarov said.
