A $200-Million Floating Nuclear Plant?

Roland Piquepaille writes "In 'A Floating Chernobyl?,' Popular Science reports that two Russian companies plan to build the world's first floating nuclear power plant to deliver cheap electricity to northern territories. The construction should start next year for a deployment in 2010. The huge barge will be home for two 60-megawatt nuclear reactors which will work until 2050... if everything works fine. It looks like a frightening idea, don't you think? But read more for additional details and pictures of this floating nuclear power plant."

It looks like a frightening idea, don't you think?

[mgabrys_sf]

No.

Both the US and Russian Navy have plenty of reactors online - and many of them power ships of some kind which float in water.

And here's the kicker - they're online - right now!

Oh nosies! Call Greenpeace!

Re:Safety

[LiquidCoooled]

Food for all!

I wonder if they will find a use for all 3 eyes though?

American politicians are going to have a fit...

[__aaclcg7560]

... when they see the "Made In North Korea" sticker on these reactors.

Re:Safety

[Anonymous Coward]

Hell, if this goes pear shaped, you could drop the core miles beneath the sea never to be seen again.

And look at all the benefits to the fishing industry. Glowing fish have got to be much easier to catch. Also imagine Salmon the size of Blue Whales. Okay so Tokyo is screwed but it's a small price to pay for really big glowing fish! The giant slabs of sushi should make up for loosing a couple of cities to radioactive monsters.

skyships?

[Dred_furst]

Why is it the first image I saw was a nuclear reactor floating in the air? that would be far cooler but I guess a boat makes more sense :(

Re:Safety

[Pseudonym]

But from my understanding after the last San Franciso major earthquake that some nuclear vesseles [...]

I think you misspelled "wessels". Hope this helps!

Re:Safety

[ericartman]

Isn't this a start to a Godzilla movie?

EC

Re:Small reactors

[fishbowl]

"The reactors aboard an aircraft carrier do more than just run the lights, they can push the whole thing at speeds in excess of 40 knots (how much in excess isn't exactly talked about -- but even that is more than fast enough to water ski behind!"

Please tell me you've skied behind a carrier!

Re:Umm....

[proxy318]

I thought the Enterprise was powered by dilithium crystals, not a nuclear reactor.

Re:Read:

[bot24]

This has been going on for a while. Where do you think Godzilla came from?

Re:Why

[flyingfsck]

Why? Because there is something wrong with your math maybe?

Ted Kennedy

[sycodon]

Yeah. Ted Kennedy is a Republican. That's right. He's also a qualified Water Safety Instructor and certified in First Aid. Oh...and don't forget a highly skilled driver and a spokesman for some hugely successful weight loss scheme.

Re:Safety

[Intron]

What? Deregulation of gas and oil, leading to higher prices, made alternative nuclear energy LESS attractive? Did you discover a new principle of economics somewhere?

Anyway, let me be the first to say that floating nuclear plants are a great idea. No, more than great, they are a Titanic idea.

Amazing new breakthrough technology

[Warbothong]

I think this is a bad idea. It has been tried before but all of the test candidates sank: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Submarine#Modern_subm arines [wikipedia.org]