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Milestone for floating nuclear power plants

Heiner Kubny 30. June 2026 | Arctic, Economy, Russian Arctic

**On rails to St. Petersburg: The first RITM-200S reactor pressure vessel leaves the ZiO-Podolsk plant near Moscow. (Photo: Rosatom)**

The Russian state-owned corporation Rosatom has made significant progress in its program for floating nuclear power plants. At the end of May, the first RITM-200S reactor was completed; it is intended for the second generation of floating nuclear power plants. The reactor is now being transported to the Baltic Shipyard in St. Petersburg, where it will be assembled and integrated into the floating power plant unit.

The RITM-200S belongs to the class of small modular reactors (SMR) and is based on the proven RITM-200 reactor type, which is already in use on the latest Russian nuclear-powered icebreakers. The power plant version achieves a thermal output of approximately 198 megawatts and was specifically developed for long-term use in remote regions.

A floating nuclear power plant for use in the Arctic is being outfitted at the Baltisky Shipyard in St. Petersburg. It is intended to provide energy for the development of the Baimskaya mining project in Chukotka. (Photo: Social media)

Rosatom plans a total of four second-generation floating nuclear power plants by 2031. The plants are to be stationed at Cape Nagloynyn in the Russian region of Chukotka to ensure the energy supply for industrial and mining projects there. Each power plant will be equipped with two RITM-200S reactors.

A key role in this is played by the development of the Baimskaya ore zone, one of the largest mining projects in the Russian Far East. Between 2028 and 2030, four floating power plant units are to be delivered for the project. According to the regional government, the first plants are expected to begin supplying electricity as early as 2028. The Baimskaya mine is expected to increase Russian copper production by about 25 percent and gold production by around four percent.

**Cape Nagloynyn is located about 430 kilometers from the Baimskaya ore zone and is intended to serve as an energy and logistics hub for the mining project. (Graphic: Heiner Kubny)**

According to Rosatom, 13 RITM-200 reactors and one RITM-200S have been delivered to date. Additional reactors are currently in production—both for new nuclear icebreakers and for floating and land-based small modular reactors in Russia and abroad.

With the RITM-200S, Russia is relying on a modern and high-performance reactor generation as the successor to the older KLT-40S reactors used on the floating nuclear power plant “Akademik Lomonosov.” The project underscores the strategic importance of the Arctic for Russia’s energy, raw materials, and infrastructure policies and is intended to support the long-term economic development of the remote northeastern regions.

Heiner Kubny, PolarJournal