Plenty of International Interest in Floating Power Plants

Over 20 countries are interested in Russian floating nuclear power plants (NPP), according to an official involved in the project.

"Some 20 countries have shown interest in floating NPPs, including Indonesia and China," said Sergei Krysov, deputy general director of state-controlled nuclear plant operator Rosenergoatom.

China will buy a facility or jointly build an NPP with Russia after the first power unit is completed around 2010, he said. "We hope that Western countries will be ready for contracts on cooperation in floating NPP projects after the prototype power unit is completed," Krysov declared.

Russia launched the early foundations of the first floating NPP in the northern city of Severodvinsk back in April, with another six expected over the course of the next ten years, Ria Novosti reported.

The first floating nuclear power plant will have a capacity of 70MW of electricity and about 300MW of thermal power.