Guinea and Russia sign memorandum of understanding on floating nuclear power plant

The Republic of Guinea has signed a memorandum of understanding with Rosatom to collaborate on the development

of floating generating units to power the African country.

 

 

The signing ceremony was held on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, where the two

sides will discuss the implementation methods and terms and conditions of the maritime force.

Vladimir Aptekarev, deputy director of Rosatom’s Mechanical Engineering Department, said: “This cooperation

involves the joint development of an electricity supply solution for industrial and household consumers in the Republic

of Guinea, through the deployment of RITM-equipped -200 reactor floating nuclear power units, which have proven to

be highly efficient… The power supply problem in the African region is urgent, and our main task is to provide our

partners with fast, reliable and environmentally friendly solutions.”

 

He added that the agreement “demonstrates the high level of global interest in our technology”.

The floating power generation unit developed by Rosatom is based on the RITM-200 reactor, which is already used in the

latest generation of nuclear-powered icebreakers. The first floating power plant, Akademik Lomonosov, is located in the

Chukotka region and was commissioned in 2020, providing 70 MWe of electricity and heat to nearby coastal areas.

Under a contract signed in 2021, Rosatom Mechanical Engineering will supply four floating power units (FPUs), each with

an electrical capacity of up to 106 MW, for the Baimsky mining and processing plant. Three of the FPUs will serve as the

main unit and the fourth will serve as the backup unit. The project aims to become the first “series” reference for floating

generating units and the world’s first experience in electrifying mineral mining projects using floating generating units.

 

In a Q&A interview with World Nuclear News last month, Aptekarev said the 100 MW floating generator unit was being

developed for export “with enhanced technical and economic performance suitable for relatively warm climates” , adding

that negotiations “are ongoing with several countries in different parts of the world and some have already signed agreements.”

He explained that the business model is not to sell floating generating units but to sell the power they generate, with power

purchase agreements lasting up to 60 years. Expected fuel change intervals are 7 to 10 years.