SMRs & ADVANCED REACTORS | ROSATOM’S SMR PLAY
Right:
A model of low- capacity land-based nuclear power plant using an RITM-200N reactor
wind energy business and wind turbine manufacturing
through its fully owned subsidiary NovaWind, it can offer ‘one-stop-shop’ solutions for hybrid, wind-plus-SMR, off-grid installations with a complete net-zero profile for industrial electricity and heat users. Similarly, following the same principle of add-ons, other
parameters of the RITM-based plant would be tailored and fine-tuned to meet the specific needs and opportunities of a given location and application. For instance, the standard configuration of a terrestrial RITM power plant is designed with a seismic profile that enables the facility to withstand earthquakes with peak ground acceleration of 0.3g. However, for more seismically active areas, it could be strengthened to withstand accelerations of up to 2g. Similarly, cooling modules could be based on water cooling systems or adapted to air cooling for arid regions.
Making progress In 2023, Rosatom began manufacturing equipment for the first small-capacity, land-based plant based on the
Above: The first RITM-200N unit will be built in the Yakutia region of Eastern Russia for use in mining operations. Construction is due to be complete in 2028
40 | February 2024 |
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modified RITM-200N. The RITM-200N reactor (N stands for ‘nazemniy’, the Russian word for ‘land-based’) has a slightly higher capacity (190 MWt versus 175 MWt in the basic model for icebreakers). The first RITM-200N unit will be built in Ust- Kuyga, in the Yakutia region of Eastern Russia, and will serve as a vital power generation hub for local mining operations. Construction is planned to begin in 2024 and is scheduled to be completed in 2028, when the plant is expected to start generating power. While the Ust-Kuyga project involves a single RITM-200N unit, the modular principle of the RITM line allows for the assembly of plants with capacities up to 600 MWe, suitable for regions with more advanced power grids. Rosatom is currently conducting feasibility studies for a number of potential projects for RITM-based small-capacity onshore plants, both in Russia and for export. The Russian plans include power and heating supply for the Norilsk area, meeting the needs of the city of Norilsk and the mining and smelting operations of Nornickel, the world’s largest manufacturer of battery-grade nickel. For export, Rosatom is actively engaging with prospective customers in Sri Lanka, India, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, and other countries interested in this technology. For floating nuclear power plant projects, a Rosatom subsidiary OKBM Afrikantov, is completing technical designs for floating power units based on the RITM-200S, RITM-200M and RITM-400M reactors. The first customer for a series of four floating power units will be the Baimskiy Mining and Processing Plant in Chukotka. Over a dozen floating power units are planned to be built for Rosatom’s new subsidiary, Energoflot, which will offer its customers in coastal areas in countries of Africa, South Asia, and Latin America turnkey power supply solutions based on a build-own-operate scheme, without the transfer of ownership or the need for the countries to invest in their own nuclear infrastructure. Both the RITM-200N and RITM-200S modifications have been included in the list of 21 SMR projects in the SMR Dashboard by the NEA OECD in its 2023 edition. A recent report by the London-based think tank New Nuclear Watch Institute (NNWI), projects that the RITM series will have the largest market share in the global SMR fleet by installed capacity by 2025. It has also included the series in the list of the five ‘front-runners’ in the SMR race. (page 43)
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