Arctic drilling is becoming increasingly appealing as sea ice melts, and Russia is planning to use nuclear power to help run ports, coastal infrastructure, and oil and gas extraction.

It would sit in the icy waters of the Arctic, and provide a constant supply of electricity to a massive rig drilling for oil. They could be mass produced, potentially cutting the cost of drilling projects. The twist? The electricity on these floating power plants would come from a nuclear reactor.

Russia is looking to deploy a floating nuclear reactor that could help power ports, industries, and also offshore oil and gas drilling in the Arctic. In what sounds like a horrible nightmare for environmentalists, floating nuclear reactors could help produce more oil in the Arctic.

Russia’s reactor, called the Akademik Lomonosov, will be about the length of one and a half football fields, and will have the capacity to produce 70 megawatts of electricity. It is not self-propelled, but future mobile reactors will be. Russia plans on mass producing them once the Akademik Lomonosov proves itself. The small floating reactors will be on icebreakers, so they will be able to navigate icy Arctic waters. (Related: How To Spot An Undervalued Oil Company)

Construction began on the Akademik Lomonosov in 2007, but has suffered delays. But Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said during a recent trip to the Arctic that Russia hopes to have a floating nuclear reactor running by October 2016. It will provide power to the Arctic town of Pevek in the East Siberian Sea. “It is basically an atomic reactor that can be docked to coastal infrastructure, and it will provide energy through a cable to any Arctic city,” Rogozin said.

According to Russia’s state-owned nuclear firm Rosatom, at least 15 countries, including China, Algeria, Indonesia, Malaysia and Argentina, are interested in deploying floating nuclear reactors as well. In fact, last year, during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to Shanghai, Russia and China signed an agreement to cooperate on building a floating nuclear power plant. (Related: Putin Betting On An Argentinian Shale Boom)

A Canadian company Dunedin Energy Systemsis proposing something similar. The Ontario-based company wants to sell small floating nuclear reactors in Canada’s far north that would provide a power source for remote mining projects. Dunedin’s President points out that floating nuclear reactors are safe and have been around since the 1950’s when the USS Nautilus, a nuclear-powered submarine, hit the high seas.

Nick Cunningham

Source: https://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy-Voices/2015/0428/Russia-to-power-Arctic-drilling-with-floating-nuclear-reactors 

The technology of subglacial descent of manned deep-sea submersibles developed 10 years ago, on July 29, 2007 by means of the devices "World-1" and "World-2", can be demanded at development of the Arctic, experts consider.
"The first descent has taken place on July 29 To the northeast of the archipelago of Franz Josef Land", - Vladimir Sokolov has told the correspondent of TASS. He was the chief of an expedition Arctic 2007 which component was a High-altitude deep-water expedition led by Artur Chilingarov within which subglacial descents of "Worlds" have been twice carried out. His tasks included positioning, safety and hydrometeorological ensuring flight, during the descent of "Worlds" - statement of beacons and ice maintenance of descent.

According to Sokolov, the technology of subglacial immersion of manned devices is necessary for two main objectives. "Within operations on rescue of the crashed submarine the device can quickly survey and establish the event reason as it possesses the best informatics, than devices rescuers though because of tightness of the case the crew of the submarine can't save "World"", - the expert has specified. Also "Worlds" are irreplaceable at "development of minerals in shelf and deep-water regions of the World Ocean".

Five years on a trick

The pilot of "World-1" Anatoly Sagalevich, the head of laboratory on operation of "Worlds", has told the correspondent of TASS that five years "Worlds" didn't plunge. "World-1" became an exhibit of exhibitions in Museum of the World Ocean in Kaliningrad, "World-2" stands, in Kaliningrad, in a hangar. Meanwhile, to leave in new flight, according to Sagalevich, it is necessary only "to replace accumulators on devices, they are serviceable and ready to continuation of works".

He has told that he prepares new projects for "Worlds". "To speak about them so far early, but they are", - Sagalevich has noted. He is also convinced that "development of the Arctic zone will demand to use the technology of subglacial immersion created on "Worlds" 10 years ago in practice". "I believe that she will be surely demanded", - Sagalevich has told.

Commenting on a subject, in the Main command of the Navy the correspondent of TASS was told that "traditions of domestic school of subglacial swimming aren't lost". "Submarines of the Navy of Russia make subglacial campaigns, including in the subpolar areas of the Arctic. Together with institutes of Academy of Sciences of the Navy carries out several projects of a research of the Arctic depths, and creation of technology of subglacial immersion of "Worlds" - one of such examples", - the interlocutor of the agency has told.

The CEO of Museum of the World Ocean Svetlana Sivkova has reported that "the device "World-1" is one of the most demanded exhibits in the museum". "In recent years the flow of persons interested to study in a postgraduate study at Institute of oceanology, to study sea depths by means of deep-sea submersibles has sharply increased. I think that it was promoted by an opportunity to see "World-1" at exhibitions of our museum. The genius of domestic engineers plays an educational role, they have followers", - Sivkova believes.

About "Worlds"

"World-1" and "World-2" have been built in 1987 on Igor Mikhaltsev's project in Finland, at the heart of a design - the tight capsule with pilots, there are external manipulators. The vessel of Institute of oceanology of RAS "Academician Mstislav Keldysh" became the vessel of basing. From 1987 to 1991 "Worlds" participated in 35 expeditions to the Atlantic, Quiet, Indian oceans. In 1989-1998 by means of devices a series of expeditions to the place of death of the nuclear submarine "Komsomol member" in the Norwegian Sea has been conducted, in September, 2000 thanks to immersions of "Worlds" the cause of death of the nuclear submarine "Kursk" has been established.

Source: http://tass.ru/nauka/4449471 

The president Putin has participated in a ceremony of naming of the "Christophe De Margeri" ship — in memory of the former head of power concern Total who has tragicly died in 2014 in plane crash at the Moscow airport Vnukovo.

It is known that the Arctic is the special region as a little giving in to economic development, and poorly suitable for accommodation. However global warming and universal development of technologies have made her extremely attractive to all world community. The possibility of operation of hydrocarbonic and mineral riches, opening of new polar routes, the organization of regular navigation – dream of it not only the subarctic countries, but also many regions, far from the North Pole.

Employees of the Central Military District (CIC) have begun to eliminate the consequences of environmental damage in the Arctic zone. On this RIA Novosti said the commander of the troops of the district, Colonel-General Vladimir Zarudnitsky.

Scientific methods of oil and gas geology and geophysics (INGG) of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences are developing new methods of three-dimensional seismic exploration to search for oil and gas fields in the Far North and the shelf of the Arctic seas. The work is carried out jointly with the Krasnoyarsk subsidiary of PJSC "Rosneft".