Putin announces plans for new floating nuclear power plant

The facility in Chukotka will provide power to the Baimsky mining complex, according to the Russian president

Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced plans for another floating nuclear power plant (NPP) in the Far Eastern region of Chukotka to supply energy to the Baimsky mining and processing plant, one of the largest in the world.

Putin made the announcement on Thursday in Vladivostok during a meeting on the development of fuel and energy complexes in the Russian Far East. 

The president noted that Russia is already implementing low-capacity nuclear power plants in Yakutsk and Chukotka and outlined future projects, including new plants in Primorsk and Khabarovsk, alongside the newly announced floating station.

He stressed that nuclear power plants should continue to be developed actively, emphasizing that these projects have virtually no carbon footprint and are “rightfully considered to be so-called green energy.”

Putin has in the past described Russia’s nuclear sector as a fundamental pillar of the state, noting that Moscow is a global leader in nuclear technologies and has helped foreign countries build reactors “practically from scratch.” 

He has also repeatedly highlighted Russia’s advancements in building floating NPPs that are capable of delivering power to remote regions, particularly in places such as the Arctic. He has suggested that this technology could eventually replace oil energy.

Floating nuclear power plants are mobile energy units designed to supply electricity to isolated regions without requiring traditional land-based infrastructure. Russia has already deployed the Akademik Lomonosov, the world’s first floating nuclear plant, in the Arctic port of Pevek. The technology has been presented as a reliable solution for mining operations, industrial projects, and remote settlements where other forms of power generation are unfeasible.

Putin’s visit to Vladivostok comes ahead of his participation in the Eastern Economic Forum, which runs from September 3 to 6 at the campus of Far Eastern Federal University. The event is set to bring together more than 70 countries, including delegations from India, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand.

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