On April 21, Rosenergoatom, a Joint-Stock Company, obtained a license issued by the Federal Service for the Supervision of Environment, Technology and Nuclear Management (Rostekhnadzor) to construct the Yakutsk land-based SMR in the Ust-Yansky District of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia).
The design of land-based SMR is based on the latest Russian technology - a water-cooled nuclear reactor RITM-200N, developed by adapting an advanced low-power facility of shipboard design for a ground-based NPP. Reactors of the RITM-200 series have been tested in the harsh Arctic conditions onboard the advanced Russian icebreakers and meet all post-Fukushima safety requirements for the modern NPP design. This is a compact modular power nuclear plant, featuring reduced construction time compared to large nuclear power plants.
“The decision of the Rostekhnadzor is meaningful for the global nuclear industry. This is permission to construct the first modern land-based SMR in the harsh Arctic conditions, and this is another confirmation of the undisputed leadership of Russian nuclear technologies. Pre-construction work is already underway in the area of the village of Ust-Kuyga. More than 2,000 tons of cargo have already been delivered to the site, there are now about 80 workers and 38 pieces of operating equipment there. The scope of work is increasing day by day. The world's first land-based SMR with RITM-200N is planned to be commissioned in 2028,” said Director General of Rosatom Alexey Likhachev.
To date, Rosatom has completed the engineering surveys, the Yakutsk SMR is being designed ahead of schedule, and the construction of the off-site infrastructure facilities and an early-stage camp for workers have already started.
The integrated development of the Russian Arctic is one of the national strategic priorities. Increasing the cargo traffic along the Northern sea route (NSR) is of paramount importance for solving the tasks relating to cargo transportation and delivery. This logistics corridor is being developed through regular cargo transportation, construction of new nuclear-powered icebreakers and modernization of the relevant infrastructure. Rosatom takes an active part in this work.
The growing global demand for land-based SMR is observed all over the world. The presence of reference projects within the country allows Rosatom to conduct an active dialogue with foreign customers.
