The use of low power nuclear power plants in local power systems. Low power nuclear power plants (ASMM)

On the other hand, after Fukushima, the new imperative is to make reactors safer and safer. The existing power units are subject to modernization to improve safety.

South Korea believes that small reactors have good prospects. Dr. Jaejoo Ha, Vice President of the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) for advanced reactors, spoke about this in his report at the ICAPP-2013 conference (April, South Korea).

New concepts of low power reactors have a greater set of inherent safety features than the current ES. So why not give small reactors a chance today, the speaker asks.

By definition, a small reactor is one with a power of less than 300 MW(e). Medium power reactor - a reactor with a power of less than 700 MW(e). Is there a niche for small reactors that they could fill?

The speaker proposed to turn to the global statistics for all power plants (not only nuclear). In total, there are about 127 thousand power plants in the world. Of these, large accounts for 0.5%, medium - 3%, and small - 96.5%. Thus, there is a huge potential market for ASMM. The prospects become even more attractive when you consider that 18,500 fossil fuel stations have crossed the milestone of 30 years of operation, and there is talk of replacing them.

The speaker listed the main, in his opinion, advantages of small-scale nuclear power.

New security technologies are used in the ASMM projects being developed. ASMMs have intrinsic safety. A low power reactor contains significantly less activity compared to large nuclear power plants.

The choice of a site for SNPP placement can be made more flexibly than for large reactors. ASMMs do not require large sanitary zones (up to a maximum of 300 meters). They are easier to protect by seismic, they need less technical water to remove heat to the final heat sink.

ASMM can easily be reoriented from electricity production to other needs - for example, water desalination, district heating, high-temperature heat production.

The cost of electricity from ASMM is quite competitive with other types of electricity. The speaker cited data on South Korea. For a kilowatt-hour from a coal station, they pay more than 13 cents, from a station using oil products - more than 25 cents, from a gas station - more than 17 cents, and from the proposed SMART reactor with a capacity of about 100 MW (e.) will pay 7-10 cents.

Capital costs for the construction of SNPP look very moderate against the background of the cost of large nuclear power plants. So, for a serial SMART, you will have to pay only about $ 800 million. Large nuclear power industry has not had such prices for a long time.

The construction time of the nuclear power plant (2-3 years), although it exceeds the construction time of non-nuclear plants, is several times shorter than the construction time of large nuclear units.

Small reactors can easily take advantage of the existing energy infrastructure (it is worth recalling that the vast majority of the world's operating plants fall in the range of less than 300 MW(e) in terms of power).

ASMM can serve less than 100 people. The construction of the ASMM can be easily localized. Finally, by adding or temporarily shutting down small reactors, one can respond flexibly to changes in electricity demand (apparently, they mean fluctuations not daily, but at least seasonal).

Small reactors are being developed by a large group of countries, although they do so with varying degrees of success. Somewhere the first projects are ready for demonstration, and somewhere, as in South Africa, the work has been frozen.

The SMART Reactor, developed in South Korea, is the first licensed small power integrated reactor. It was licensed by South Korean regulators on July 4, 2012.

The name of the reactor stands for System-integrated Modular Advanced ReacTor. This is a pressurized light water reactor with a thermal power of 330 MW.

In the power generation mode, a station with such a reactor has a capacity of 90 MW(e), which will meet the needs of a city with a population of about 100,000 people.

When operating as a desalination plant, the unit with the SMART reactor will produce up to 40,000 tons of drinking water daily. Another possible application of SMART is the heating of nearby areas.

The SMART project combines both proven technologies and innovative solutions.

The former include, for example, the use of a standard 17×17 square fuel cartridge with uranium dioxide fuel, the presence of a large dry containment, the design of control rods, reactivity control using rods and boric acid.

Among the innovative solutions, the speaker singled out the integral layout - all the main components of the primary circuit are located inside the reactor pressure vessel.

ASMM SMART actively uses the modular principle, which facilitates its construction. Station control systems are fully digital. Finally, another important innovative feature is the presence of a passive residual energy removal system (PRHRS) in the project.

The speaker schematically showed the difference in the behavior of SMART during the Fukushima-type accident. The diagram below shows that after the loss of power from diesel engines, the passive PRHRS system (green line) comes into action. According to the speaker, a station with SMART is able to withstand an accident with a complete loss of power at the site (including backup) for 20 days, which is more than enough to take the situation under control.

The conceptual design of SMART was developed in 1997-1998. The basic design was completed in 2001. In 2003-2005, the SMART-P project with a thermal power of 65 MW was developed - an auxiliary project designed to confirm the main SMART solutions. It was completed and an application for a building permit was submitted to the supervisory authorities of South Korea. Although it was not built in the end, the nuclear scientists gained the experience needed to license SMART itself.

In 2006-2008, the SMART project was optimized, and in 2009-2012, it was licensed, which ended in success on July 4, 2012. In total, 1,500 person-years and $300 million have been invested in the SMART program over the entire time.

paper or real

At the end of his speech, the speaker dwelled on the proof that SMART, although not yet built, no longer applies to paper reactors.

What is a paper reactor? According to the South Korean nuclear scientist, he is distinguished by a revolutionary approach to problems.

The paper reactor looks fancy and simple at the same time. Its authors "hope it will work." They assume in advance that in order to introduce their offspring, it will be necessary to make changes to the existing rules and regulations. They believe that they will ever prove the viability of their technology and dream of great economic performance.

A lot has to be done on the way from a paper reactor to a real one. It is necessary to take into account the needs of the operator who will have to work with the installation. It must be ensured that the reactor is suitable for existing production and supply chains.

It is necessary to finalize the project in such a way that it fully meets industry standards. Finally, verify and validate the project experimentally.

In other words, it is necessary to invest in the project for many years, large human resources and financial resources, and strictly adhere to the chosen development strategy.

Only after that the paper reactor will turn into a real project, ready for implementation. It will be distinguished by evolutionary, not revolutionary solutions. It will become ugly and complex, but working. Its technologies will be validated and licensed, and it will be ready for construction. And its economy, although not so attractive, will be calculated on the basis of realistic considerations, and not from the good dreams of the designers.

The SMART reactor, according to the KAERI specialist, has gone all this long way and can rightfully be considered a real project.

(In the photo - Bilibino NPP, photo from the Rosenergoatom website).

The Arctic territories of Russia have significant reserves of fuel resources, but their distribution, exploration and development are extremely uneven. Therefore, up to 6-8 million tons of fuels and lubricants and up to 20-25 million tons of coal are annually delivered within the northern delivery. The share of the transport component in the cost of fuel reaches 70%. The cost of coal reaches 8 thousand rubles/t, diesel fuel - up to 80 thousand rubles/t and significantly exceeds the price of the domestic and world markets. Delivery times to individual points (in particular, in Yakutia) reach 1.5 - 2.5 years.

“The regions of the Far North of the Republic of Yakutia serve local diesel power plants (161), consuming 118 thousand tons of diesel fuel per year. Along with boiler houses (365), they provide electricity to 175 settlements (about 150 thousand people). Diesel stations have critical wear and tear, and the fuel delivered through a complex multi-link chain forms a larger percentage (65%) of the cost of local energy, playing a decisive role in the formation of the high cost of electricity at diesel power plants. In such territories, the tariff for electricity for isolated consumers reaches catastrophically high rates - 600-2000 rubles / kWh with low solvency of these same consumers.

Small nuclear power plants (small nuclear power plants, SNPP) are relatively expensive energy sources, but in such a price situation, a small nuclear power plant of almost any type with suitable power will be competitive. The task of using ASMM is to provide a reliable autonomous energy supply to such areas, to create a decent quality of life for the northerners. The more severe the climate and the more remote the region, the higher the requirements for the comfort of housing should be. "Social" should be in the first place; but not only for this, ASMMs are needed in the North - the class of tasks they solve is very wide: elimination of energy crisis phenomena at remote points and “rapid energy response” (mobile AS); the revival and development of industry and agriculture, the arrangement of the ports of the NSR and the renewal of their infrastructure; participation in improving the efficiency of oil and gas production, replacing hydrocarbons burned for own needs for export; obtaining local artificial motor fuel for small aviation and transport in remote regions (medical aviation, small-tonnage sea vessels, local transport) by producing hydrogen, methanol, dimethyl ether (DME); power supply of mines and GOKs; providing energy for navigation of cross-polar flights; strategic - ensuring information flows (communications, distance education, telemedicine, etc.).

As part of the state energy program, since 2007, Russia has been implementing the lead (pilot) project of a low-capacity floating nuclear thermal power plant (FNPP) based on a floating power unit with two KLT-40S reactor plants (with an electric power of 35 MW), similar to those used at nuclear icebreakers and submarines. The station is planned to be located in Pevek, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug; the implementation of this project will ensure a reliable and cost-effective power supply to consumers in the Chaun-Bilibinsky industrial and economic region, where the world's first nuclear power plant beyond the Arctic Circle, Bilibinskaya, is currently operating. At BiNPP in 1974-1976. 4 power units with EGP-6 channel water-graphite reactors were put into operation, but this real small nuclear power facility operating to this day will be decommissioned in the coming years after the design service life has been exhausted. With a total installed electric capacity of the power units of 48 MW, heat supply is 78 MW and can be increased to a maximum of 116 MW with a decrease in electric power to 40 MW.

It was called both the “pearl of the Arctic” and the “Chukotka oasis”, because the energy of the Bilibino nuclear power plant made it possible to raise the quality of life in this harsh region to an unprecedented level. In addition to comfort with uninterrupted heating and lighting, a greenhouse complex operates on the basis of waste heat from the station, producing greens, cucumbers and tomatoes, other vegetables, melons and watermelons, and flowers. In a region with almost two months of polar night, this advantage can hardly be overestimated.

With the help of its energy, more than 200 tons of gold were mined. But now Canadians are mining gold at the Kupol deposit; there is no reason for them to buy electricity from the BiNPP and “feed” our power industry, so they themselves import diesel fuel there by planes.

ASMM projects being developed both in the Russian Federation and in the world cover a wide range of different types of reactors: these are pressurized water reactors with sodium, gas, molten salt, heavy metal coolant; on fast and thermal neutrons; with different types of fuel; in floating, land, underwater and underground versions. It should be emphasized that the domestic "park" of projects and proposals is the most diverse. They have a different level of sophistication - from draft designs and technical and commercial proposals to those ready for serial production. The promising projects of the ASMM take into account, to a greater extent, consumer demand for power and ease of use and are focused on use as “nuclear batteries”, which are delivered in full factory readiness and operate without fuel replacement for the entire service life.

ASMM are good in that they can work autonomously both outside the power grids and as part of them. Modern developments have an autonomy period of 10 to 60 years. In this case, the power level of the power plant can be chosen practically any in the range from 1 to 300 MWe.

The table shows the most developed Russian designs of reactors for ANPP.

The misconceptions about the high cost of ASMM compared to large capacities and other types of power generation were discussed in the first part, but we recall once again: you have to pay for higher security, convenience of autonomy and reliability of power supply. Yes, in the energy systems of the central regions of the country, ASMM with their electricity price up to 20-30 rubles / kWh are uncompetitive, but let's remember the regions with 600 - 2,000 rubles. per kWh!..

A significant advantage of ANPP is the significantly lower absolute costs of project implementation than those of large nuclear power plants, as well as a drastic reduction in almost all risks, including for investors. They can provide uninterrupted and unattended power generation for 30-40 years, which allows them to be used as an easily calculated and guaranteed collateral for long-term loans and investments.

Recall that ASMM is an expensive facility, and it will not always be enough to sell its heat and electricity for its payback. The exact cost of the ASMM project cannot be given, since price characteristics are unknown in an indefinite period of the future, however, estimates can be made based on existing projects. So, if we assume that the cost of 1 kW of installed capacity of a small NPP will be 1.5-2 times higher than that of a large-capacity unit (and today it is 5-7 thousand dollars), then the total investment in the SNPP project with an electric capacity of 10 MW will amount to 75-140 million dollars. With the serial construction of small units, the commissioning period should not exceed 2-3 years. (The current experience in the construction of the Akademik Lomonosov floating nuclear power plant cannot be considered either typical, let alone serial. This is a unique first, prototype, on which not only technical methods are worked out (for which there are large backlogs and experience), but also organizational - economic schemes that are absolutely new and unknown for such objects in a market economy, which is the reason for the unacceptably long construction period and, accordingly, the increasing total costs.)

However, to increase the economic efficiency of autonomous SNPPs, there is a “clustering” method: SNPPs can become the basis for energy technological complexes (clusters) for the local production of important or high-value products with high added value - for example, the production of hydrogen and, based on it, the processing of non-conventional hydrocarbons (coal, heavy oils, biomass) for local production of synthetic motor fuels; food and agricultural products; mining and enrichment of non-ferrous metal ores, domestic and industrial heat, sea water desalination with non-waste processing of brines, marine farms and many others. Estimates of this approach show that a synergistic effect of such cogeneration production is achieved, which is about 3-3.5: 1, i.e. compared to the profitability from the production and sale of electricity alone.

Within the mainland of the Arctic, there are unique reserves and predicted resources of copper-nickel ores, tin, platinoids, agrochemical ores, rare metals and rare earth elements, large ones - gold, diamonds, tungsten, mercury, ferrous metals, optical raw materials and ornamental stones - mining enrichment enterprises for their development require energy. GOKs in the regions of the Far North, hundreds of kilometers away from power lines and roads, are relatively large isolated energy consumers (up to 10 MW) . By ensuring their stable energy supply, it is possible to introduce effective technologies, such as thermal crushing of rock to extract gold and other valuable metals with the simultaneous organization of ore dressing and metallurgical processes, year-round operation of seasonal mines.

Our northern seas have enormous potential for bioproductivity. Only a little extra heat, light and feed production are needed to intensify artificial seafood farming. Seafood farms organized on the coast of the Barents, Kara, East Siberian Seas can provide protein and mineral products: crab meat (acclimatization of the king crab in the Barents Sea has been carried out since the 50s), shellfish, algae, etc. A wide niche for ASMM in this industry is feed production and a food processing plant with refrigerators, etc., producing canned food and semi-finished products.

It is believed that the labor and energy costs of artificial fish farming are negligible compared to industrial fisheries. Investments in the "seeding" of a small area and in harvesting equipment are small, while the contribution to food is significant and stable. Thus, according to estimates, with an energy consumption of about 12 thousand kWh, it is possible to obtain a yield of ~20 tons of fish per year.

In this case, the economy of such an isolated area - an autonomous energy-technological complex (technoecopolis) - should not be assessed separately (electricity - heat - useful products), but jointly; such cogeneration of unique products within the framework of a single project will significantly change the economic performance in the direction of improvement. But we emphasize that this production in this place could not have been carried out otherwise than with the help of nuclear power plants, due to the difficulties of a different way of supplying energy.

When considering the issue of using ASMM for the regions of the Far North and the Far East of Russia, we analyzed more than 250 points. It is planned to build a mini-series of floating NPPs to supply power to the northern regions of Yakutia in order to develop and develop mineral resources and the socio-economic development of these regions.

It is also necessary to note about common misconceptions about the alternative (or no alternative) options for locating nuclear power plants - “underground / ground / or / floating”, etc. There is an inert system of views that a “floating vessel” is only KLT-40 (for experts, more ABV-6 and VBER-300), although the vast majority of known types of reactors with suitable weight-dimensions-power for a watercraft can “go afloat” (perhaps, with the exception of those with natural circulation of the coolant: there will be difficulties in substantiating operational reliability with trim rolls); and absolutely any type and size of reactors can be placed underground in general, everything will depend on the cost that they are willing to pay for it, taking into account “catching both birds with one stone”: the nearby space receives good protection from any incidents at a nuclear power plant, and the underground nuclear power plant itself receives reliable protection from any external influences (a hurricane, a falling plane, and even a nuclear missile attack).

There is also a choice for heat-to-electricity conversion circuits: traditional steam turbines (STU) with a cooling pond or dry cooling towers, gas turbine plants (GTP) - closed or open type (in air), direct conversion of heat into electricity, non-traditional - Stirling engines , complicated carnotized cycles of vocational and gas turbines... As long as all projects exist “on paper”, the reconfiguration of equipment is a purely engineering task (but taking into account the boundary conditions of “reasonableness”, i.e. technical feasibility and expediency). In any case, the choice of a power supply option for an isolated consumer is a complex process of optimization between generation types and projected fuel prices and regional development plans.

But one station, like a swallow, will not make the weather. According to a rough estimate, for the zone of decentralized energy supply, which is almost 2/3 of the territory of our country with almost 10 million people, about 20 GW of total installed capacities of small nuclear power plants are needed. That with an average unit power of 10 MW means no less than 2,000 units and will be called "Low Power AS System".

We do not say that these are "plans"; it is simply "necessary" - and the whole country - for the integrity and coherence of the territory, so as not to be a "patchwork quilt", and for those northerners who live every day as a heroic feat.

The fashionable question of our time about terrorism in connection with the vulnerability of small nuclear power plants in remote locations (like Tiksi, Dixon, Chokurdakh, Yuryung-Khaya) can be elucidated as follows: firstly, you need to get there. Secondly, with "dangerous goods", thirdly, this is a "small village", everyone knows everyone; and most importantly, the instigators of terrorist attacks need a loud PR effect, and in the event of “the success of such an enterprise”, they will be exposed to radiation, and not the fact that it is excessively dangerous, except perhaps a few people from the staff; besides, information will not reach the media soon and without vivid online reports. In our opinion, such objects are unattractive for terrorism: the effect of "protection by distances" works directly.

And not only in the North, energy is now associated with the solution of environmental, economic and social problems. In the modern world, energy has become not so much a technical system as a social subsystem, given that it is tied to both the functioning of communications, industrial, transport and domestic sectors, as well as the “social security” and environmental well-being associated with them (to the greatest extent for large cities). And the Arctic zone of the country is experiencing difficulties with energy supply because the natural, natural positive feedback works: harsh natural and climatic conditions require increased specific energy consumption, but they also prevent adequate energy supply, whether by means (RES) or by means of traditional organic energy (including, first of all, the difficulties of delivering energy carriers).

Thus, ASMM is able to act as a key factor in Russia's spatial development. And vice versa: it can be argued that without the design and implementation of the federal network of NPPs of small and medium capacity in Russia, there will be an increase in the unevenness of regional development and an acceleration of degradation in most remote regions of Russia.

Therefore, one should not categorically divide energy, security, economic development, environmental and social well-being of the Arctic regions, because they are links in a single chain. There will be energy supply - there will be a reason to talk about the environment, there will be a basis for the implementation of social programs, there will be transport and communications, a single economic space of the northern regions will be preserved.

The Holistic System of Small-scale Nuclear Power - primarily for the North - is both an ambitious national geostrategic project, and a field for breakthrough technological processes, including in related industries, and Russia's active presence in the Arctic zone to preserve the country's territorial integrity, as well as geo-economic export potential to conquer international markets for energy production and seawater desalination. This task is quite consistent with the level of the National Project.

1. Kiushkina V.R. Optimization of local energy in decentralized territories of the northern regions through strengthening the positions of energy security (on the example of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)) // Internet journal "NAUKOVEDENIE" Vol. 9, No. 6 (2017)https://naukovedenie.ru/PDF/113TVN617.pdf

2. Ivanova I.Yu., Tuguzova T.F., Popov S.P., Petrov N.A. Small power industry of the North: Problems and ways of development. - Novosibirsk: Nauka, 2002.-188 p.

Small power generation (general characteristics)

Small-scale energy (alternative energy) is by far the most economical solution to energy problems in the face of ever-increasing demand for energy resources. The autonomy of small-scale power generation makes it possible to solve the problem of supplying electricity and heat to remote and energy-deficient regions, which find it difficult to find funds for the construction of large stations, the laying of heating plants, and the construction of power lines.

Another important function of small-scale energy is the creation of backup power sources (power supply), which makes it possible to protect the consumer from interruptions in the main network. This is especially important for the power supply of medical, military, commercial and industrial complexes. According to experts, small-scale power generation is most in demand today in energy-intensive petrochemical, textile, and mineral fertilizer industries. It is no secret that a significant part of the cost of products and services falls on energy costs. This means that the funds invested in the construction of small-scale (alternative) energy facilities not only pay off quickly, but also make the enterprise independent of rising prices for electricity and hydrocarbons.

There is currently no generally accepted term "small power generation". In the electric power industry, it is most often customary to refer to small power plants as power plants with a capacity of up to 30 MW with units with a unit capacity of up to 10 MW. Typically, such power plants are divided into three subclasses:

micro power plants up to 100 kW;

mini power plants with a capacity of 100 kW to 1 MW;

small power plants with a capacity of more than 1 MW.

Along with the term "small-scale energy", the concepts of "local energy", "distributed energy", "autonomous energy" and "distributed energy generation (RGE)" are used. The latter concept is defined as the production of energy at the level of the distribution network or on the side of the consumer included in this network.

Nuclear fuel

Nuclear fuel- materials that are used in nuclear reactors to carry out a nuclear fission chain reaction. Nuclear fuel is fundamentally different from other types of fuel used by mankind, it is extremely highly efficient, but also very dangerous for humans and can cause very serious accidents, which imposes many restrictions on its use for safety reasons. For this and many other reasons, nuclear fuel is much more difficult to use than any type of fossil fuel, and requires many special technical and organizational measures for its use, as well as highly qualified personnel dealing with it.

Low Power Nuclear Power Plants (LNPP)

The topic of low power nuclear power plants (LNPP) has been relevant for more than half a century. They not only have their own market niche, but in some cases are designed to become practically indispensable sources of energy supply.

Types of ASMM subdivided into mobile and stationary, ground, underground and floating. Their close relatives are numerous "atomic-powered" engines: from those widely used in civil, naval and space to experimental armored vehicles and railway locomotives, which have not outgrown the development stage. Both directions are based on the useful features of a nuclear energy source: compactness, duration of operation on a small amount of fuel, high specific power. And the experience of operating nuclear engines is a serious help in the creation of small nuclear power plants.

Land-based and floating NPPs of small capacity based on unified reactors of the ABV type are designed to supply electricity, steam, fresh water, heating industrial enterprises and residential areas in remote areas with harsh climatic conditions (the Arctic, the Far North, the Far East, etc.). These are economical and environmentally friendly energy sources, meeting the requirements of increased security and having no restrictions on placement. For stationary nuclear power plants with ABV reactors, versions of stations in ground and underground versions have been developed.

Main characteristics of stationary NPPs with ABV reactor: Number of power units 2;

Note: if necessary, the number of power units in the station can be increased. The area occupied by the nuclear power plant, ha 7; Number of personnel, persons 109; Seismic resistance, MRZ on the MSK-64 scale, points 8 For stationary NPPs with ABV reactor plant, several options for architectural and construction solutions have been developed that differ in the design of the main building, including the reactor room and turbine hall:

1. Ground placement of the reactor compartment and turbine hall. The reactor building is made of monolithic reinforced concrete, which provides protection for the reactor plant against external influences, the turbine hall building is of a frame type made of prefabricated reinforced concrete or metal structures;

2. Underground placement of the reactor compartment and ground placement of the engine room. Protection of the reactor compartment in case of external influences is provided by a layer of soil above its building;

3. Underground placement of the reactor compartment and ground placement of the machine room. The reactor compartment room is made in the form of a cylindrical shell with a diameter of 20 m and a length of 91 m from steel tubing. The engine room is a frame-type building made of prefabricated reinforced concrete or metal structures. Protection against external influences is provided in the same way as in the second option. For stationary nuclear power plants located in remote areas, determining.

Compact ship reactors of low power promising as sources of energy supply for the Northern and other remote regions (KLT-40, KN-3, Krot, Kedr, Uniterm, Shelf-3 reactors). depressurization of the primary circuit); availability of emergency passive protection systems and backup equipment; effective control and management system; maximum use of factory technology and factory conditions of construction, which leads to high quality, a significant reduction in terms and financial costs; simplicity and minimal costs for decommissioning (up to the reconstruction of the "green lawn").

Energy complexes for hard-to-reach regions, capable of providing the population and industry with electricity, heat and fresh water

The fact that several serious design organizations (OKBM Afrikantov, NIKIET, IPPE, IATE, OKB Gidropress, RRC Kurchatov Institute) are working in this area not only creates a useful competitive environment, but also emphasizes the economic significance and good ASMM perspectives.
Their use: removes the problem of fuel delivery for decades, since it requires the replacement of nuclear fuel only once every 20 years; requires a small number of service personnel; floating small nuclear power plants ease the problem of plant decommissioning. In Yakutia, priority locations for SNPPs depend on the level of industrial development. The priority ones are ASMM in the areas of development of rare earth metals (niobium, etc.), gold deposits (Kyuchus, Nezhdaninskoye, etc.) - the settlements of Tomtor, Ust-Kuyga and social consumers of the settlement of Batagay. Placement of 2 NPPs with a total capacity of 175 MW can release: 420 thousand tons of coal and 250 thousand tons of long-range liquid fuel; in transport - 69 dry cargo ships (carrying capacity of 2510 tons each) and 82 tankers (1500 tons), 160 tankers, 49 large-tonnage vehicles; 2290 service personnel in transport; significant capital investments in storage facilities - coal and liquid fuel. The expediency of using ASMM is determined not only by a complex of objective factors, including economic efficiency, social and environmental protection, the possibility of producing equipment, financing, but also by subjective circumstances, such as the attitude of local and regional administrative bodies, public opinion and others.

With all the variety of energy supply sources, experts believe that the future belongs to low-power nuclear power plants (LNPPs). Russia has the necessary scientific and practical base for the development of small-scale nuclear energy and has every chance of becoming a world leader in this area.

Historical excursion into small nuclear power industry

Historically, the nuclear industry in our country was originally formed for military purposes. The successful use of low-power nuclear installations for submarines and icebreakers has opened up great opportunities for the development of nuclear energy for civilian purposes. In the 1960s, the first attempts were made to create small-capacity nuclear power plants, thereby laying the foundation for the development of small-scale nuclear power. A clear boundary between large and small nuclear power is not defined, but, according to the IAEA recommendations, for small nuclear power the electric power limit is 300 MW with a reactor thermal power of 750 MW.

Up until the 1990s. Numerous projects and developments did not find practical implementation, as they faced organizational problems. Such facilities required special operating and safety conditions, as well as high qualifications of workers.

An important incentive for small-scale nuclear power generation was the need to develop border areas, which are valuable due to the huge amount of natural resources and are of great geopolitical importance. Autonomous sources play the main role in the energy supply of peripheral regions. But for remote settlements it is often problematic to deliver the fuel necessary for the operation of diesel power plants and boiler houses. Source isolation and the fuel problem, in turn, affect electricity bills. In addition, the specificity of such regions suggests that the source should not only provide electricity, but also heat. The optimal solution for reliable energy supply to isolated areas is the use of low-capacity nuclear power plants.

Promising projects

Among the first developments of low-power nuclear power plants were the projects of the ATES "Elena", AST "Ruta", block-modular ATES "Angstrem", self-regulating nuclear power plant "Uniterm" and others. These projects were far from industrial implementation and there were several reasons for this: significant costs for construction work at the installation site, the inability to transport to a new place of operation and the resulting threat to the safety of people's lives.

Today, only 2 projects that have every chance of being implemented are of particular interest in the field of small-scale nuclear energy: the Akademik Lomonosov floating nuclear power plant and the SVBR-100 reactor.

In the 1990s To demonstrate the potential of small nuclear power generation, it was decided to build a floating nuclear power plant using the KLT-40S reactor, which has been successfully used in icebreakers for many years. In connection with the economic transformations in the country, the project was suspended and reinstated in 2000, when the Ministry of Atomic Energy, the Rosenergoatom Concern, the administration of the Arkhangelsk Region and FSUE PO Sevmash signed a declaration of intent to build the world's first floating nuclear thermal power plant ( FNPP) "Akademik Lomonosov" in Severodvinsk. FNPP is a non-self-propelled vessel with two KLT-40S reactors, which is towed to its destination and placed in a special dock. Vessel parameters: length - 144 m, width - 30 m, displacement - 21.5 thousand tons. Each reactor has an electrical capacity of 38 MW, a thermal capacity of 140 Gcal/h, electricity supply - 455 million kW/h per year, heat supply - 900 thousand Gcal/year. FNPP can also be used for sea water desalination, for this purpose special desalination plants are installed instead of turbines and electric generators. The station is designed for at least 36 years of operation, while every 12 years it is necessary to carry out loading of nuclear fuel.

Initially, the completion of construction was scheduled for 2010, but due to financial difficulties, Sevmash constantly postponed the deadlines, and in 2008 the project was transferred to Baltiysky Zavod OJSC. Issues of restructuring the enterprise, which began in 2011, also hampered the completion of the project. It was only at the beginning of December 2012 that Rosenergoatom and Baltiysky Zavod signed an agreement on the completion of the FNPP. The agreement provides for the delivery of a floating nuclear power plant, ready for towing to its destination, on September 9, 2016. To date, the readiness of the facility is 60%. The construction of FNPP is included in the Federal Target Program "Nuclear Energy Technologies of a New Generation for the Period 2010-2015 and for the Perspective up to 2020" precisely as one of the main tasks for the development of small-scale nuclear power. It is assumed that it will initiate the mass production of floating nuclear power plants.

The countries of the Asia-Pacific region are showing increased interest in development, but they are in no hurry to invest, waiting for the implementation of a pilot project in Russia. There is no need to worry about the “leakage” of such valuable technologies in the event of entering international markets, since the FNPP is planned to be implemented according to the “build-own-operate” scheme: Russia builds the station, ensures its operation at the customer’s site, carries out the necessary repairs every 12 years and at the end of its life cycle it is disposed of.

The small-scale nuclear power industry places great hopes on the SVBR-100 fast neutron reactor with a lead-bismuth coolant, which is designed specifically for the creation of nuclear power plants with a capacity of 100 MW. The project is being developed by JSC AKME-engineering, founded by SC Rosatom and JSC EuroSibEnergo. The parameters of such an ASMM should allow it to be transported by rail or road, and the modules themselves should be of such dimensions that they can be easily assembled, creating a station of any required capacity. While the project is at the research stage, it is planned to complete its development in 2015-2016, and start mass production in 2019. It is worth noting that Russia has experience in the creation and operation of lead-bismuth coolants that have no analogues abroad. For example, the United States is still only trying to master this technology. The creation of SVBR-100 will allow Russia to become the undisputed leader in the global nuclear industry.

Safety issues and prospects for small nuclear power

Opponents of small nuclear power industry are always concerned about the safety of using SNPP. The rule “reducing power entails reducing potential risks” works here. Therefore, small nuclear power plants are much safer than large nuclear power plants due to the smaller amount of radionuclides and the amount of stored energy.

In technical terms, our scientists master all the necessary methods for ensuring the safety of nuclear installations. For example, the FNPP has five radiation protection barriers, is able to withstand an earthquake of magnitude 7-8 on the Richter scale, heavy snowfalls and even an airplane crash. All operations with fuel and radioactive waste will be carried out in specialized centers. The project has already passed all the necessary state expertise, including environmental.

To meet its growing energy needs, society is looking for new energy sources and is trying to develop alternative sources (windmills, solar panels, etc.). Russia blindly follows fashion trends, and, meanwhile, the unique accumulated experience and powerful scientific base allow the development of small-scale nuclear power, designed to effectively supply electricity to remote settlements. Modular power plants can also be successfully used in densely populated megacities to power individual buildings or entire neighborhoods, regardless of the central power supply system. The main advantages of ASMM are the minimum fuel consumption, the costs for construction work at the installation site and the maintenance of the station itself are minimized. Therefore, low power nuclear power plants are considered as one of the most reliable and economically stable power sources. The only obstacles to the implementation of such projects may be the lack of elaboration of international law in the field of nuclear technology and the desire to profit from the implementation here and now, while it is worth directing financial mechanisms for the sustainable development of projects in the long term.

Chosun Ilbo, during the visit of the President of the Republic of Korea to Saudi Arabia, signed a memorandum in the field of nuclear energy, which, among other things, provides that "South Korean companies will build two SMART-type nuclear reactors in Saudi Arabia with a total cost of $2 billion." "By 2040, Saudi Arabia plans to build 12 to 18 reactors to meet its energy needs."

When you read the news about how the Koreans are successfully promoting their reactors to the foreign market, you immediately want to know, but what are we doing in this area? After all, Russia also has a small nuclear power industry.

I will say a few words about SMART and the advantages of small-scale nuclear power, and then I will immediately move on to our achievements in this area.

Korean SMART

SMART is a pressurized light water reactor with a thermal power of 330 MW (that is, it is a widespread type of reactor in a reduced format, which also uses uranium enriched up to 5% in U235 isotope). Its electrical power is 100 MW(e). It also produces 40 thousand tons of desalinated water per day, which is considered sufficient for a city with a population of 100 thousand people.

The development of SMART started at the South Korean Institute KAERI in 1997. In 2012, the project received the so-called standard permit valid for 15 years - an approximate analogue of the project certification. The reactor is being created for export prospects, since South Korea has a developed energy infrastructure, and it is difficult to find a consumer specifically for small reactors. However, even for export it is necessary to have a working reference block. South Korean nuclear workers have to go all the way to obtain a lot of licenses and start the actual construction of the unit in five years. The cost of a block with SMART in South Korea is estimated at $580 million.

Why are small reactors gaining popularity?

According to the director of the Institute for Problems of the Safe Development of Nuclear Energy (IBRAE), Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Leonid Bolshov: “Earlier, the opinion was established that stationary small reactors are uneconomical, and therefore their niche is some exotic situations, far from networks and transport routes, in the North. And therefore, for many years, small reactors have been developed only as transport reactors. We, for example, are the only ones in the world who have created and are successfully operating nuclear icebreakers, and are building new ones to replace them". According to him, over the past few years, the world has come to understand that the niche of using small reactors can be much wider.

“Firstly, for new nuclear countries with not yet very developed energy and small power grids, a large power unit is a problem. After all, the power grid cannot provide a sufficient volume of consumers. In addition, NPP units require regular preventive maintenance, and serious replacement capacities are needed. one advantage of small nuclear power plants was recognized not so long ago - in a market economy where money is becoming more expensive, small plants are built for a short time compared to large ones and immediately bring income.Finally, small nuclear power plants have one more advantage - their main equipment can be manufactured not on at the construction site, but in the workshop. Then the finished reactor with all the filling will be connected to the brought turbine, and the station will start generating electricity."- said Bolshov.

According to another expert, Academician Ashot Sarkisov, Advisor to the Russian Academy of Sciences (IBRAE RAS), the novelty of this direction also lies in the fact that these installations should be manufactured at factories using the industrial method, that is, they should consist of modules that can make blocks of various capacities. This, as I understand it, will reduce the cost of such projects.

There are prospects for the use of low-power reactors in Russia as well. Sarkisov believes that the territory of our country, which has about 70% of hydrocarbon reserves, many valuable minerals, is deprived of a normal energy supply. In order to realize this potential of these territories, energy supply is needed. Renewable sources or nuclear installations of small capacity can be considered as energy sources. The analysis shows that in very many cases, low-power nuclear plants will certainly be more preferable than all other types of energy supply, including such traditional ones as diesel plants, which, by the way, are the source of many environmental troubles in the places where they are used.

What proposals do Russian nuclear scientists have?

Russia has vast experience in building various nuclear reactors. The direction of small nuclear energy is also at the forefront. Of the most promising projects, experts note three:
The first one is floating nuclear power plant- Russian project for the creation of mobile floating nuclear power plants of low power.

The floating station can be used to generate electricity and heat, as well as to desalinate sea water. It can produce from 40 to 240 thousand tons of fresh water per day.

The second project, which is innovative and has a high degree of development in our country, is installations with reactors with lead-bismuth coolant on intermediate (fast) neutrons - SVBR-100. There is a big backlog with installations of the same type, which were widely used in the navy on submarines. There is also technological and operational experience.

The construction of a pilot power unit with a SVBR-100 reactor plant is scheduled for 2016-2017, physical and power start-up - for 2018.

Abroad, too, are now showing great interest in this area and are trying to use to a large extent the potential that we have accumulated. We failed, alas, to keep it as a commercial or military secret; it turned out to be disseminated to a large extent in the West. However, according to academician Sarkisov, Russian specialists are in more advantageous and advanced positions in this regard, while our Western colleagues are somewhat behind.

The third project, for which there is also a proven experience of reliability and safety, is boiling water reactor VK-50, which has been operated in Dimitrovgrad for many years. He showed very good performance.

There are several other projects of low-power reactors. The above projects can be seen on the Roadmap for the development of nuclear technologies in Russia: in the Thermal Reactors (TR) section, the low power reactors (MM) subsection, the deadlines for the commissioning of projects for the construction of floating nuclear power plants (FNPPs), the resumption of the construction of nuclear icebreakers, the launch of serial production of small modular reactors (serial MMR) and some Alternatives (where it is possible that they mean just low-power reactors of the VK type, etc.). SVBR is presented in the section on fast neutron reactors (BR).

This slide was presented at the latest conference "Safety assurance for nuclear power plants with VVER" held at OKB "Gidropress" in May 2013.

Since on October 7, 2014, during the international conference "Innovative Projects and Technologies of Nuclear Energy", Deputy General Director of the State Corporation Vyacheslav Pershukov said that the State Corporation "Rosatom" made a fundamental decision to start a program for the development of small and medium-sized nuclear power in Russia, it is possible there will be an acceleration in the implementation of projects in the field of small nuclear power, and specific projects for export deliveries in this market segment are possible. I propose to wait for the next conference "Ensuring the safety of nuclear power plants with VVER", scheduled for May 2015, and check.