Kurchatov Institute develops nuclear power plant for remote Arctic areas
© RIA Novosti. Kirill Kallinikov

Kurchatov Institute develops nuclear power plant for remote Arctic areas

The Kurchatov Institute National Research Center has developed the Yelena-M low-capacity nuclear thermal electric power plant to provide power to remote Russian regions, including Arctic areas.

“The small plant generates up to one megawatt of electricity and 10 Mw of heat. This ‘battery’ will make it possible to power Northern Sea Route infrastructure and all of our regions. It is very easy to provide remote areas with electricity,” the Center’s President Mikhail Kovalchuk noted, while speaking at the Federation Council on Wednesday, at the opening ceremony of an exhibition on the 80th anniversary of the Kurchatov Institute.

The Yelena-M power plant will provide consumers in remote areas with heat, electricity and fresh water. It utilizes the direct, non-machine, principle of converting thermal energy into electricity. The self-adjusting Yelena-M operates in the full range of electrical loads and does not require any maintenance. Workers only assemble, launch and dismantle the power plant that requires just one nuclear fuel load throughout its 25-30-year service life. A prototype is operating at the Kurchatov Institute.