The innovative SNPP in Yakutia obtained positive conclusion for the power unit construction from the Russian Natural Resources Supervision Authority

Materials to justify the license, including environmental impact assessment documents, were handled to Rosprirodnadzor following the results of the public hearings in the village of Ust-Kuiga in Yakutia in December 2023. During the public hearings, local people got detailed information about organizing the construction of the Yakutian NPP, layout plan for organizing the land spots and environmental protection measures.

The nuclear power plant in Yakutia, based on the RITM-200N reactor unit with a capacity of 55 MW, is Rosatom’s flagship project in the segment of land-based SNPPs. Currently, work is underway on construction of the NPP external infrastructure facilities, including buildings of a temporary construction camp for 1,500 people. The access road from the village of Ust-Kuiga to the NPP construction site is also being built along with the production and technical base No. 2.

Today the development of the Russian Arctic zone is considered a state priority. This region has a shortage of electricity and requires local energy supplies. At the same time, there is no sense in building large power plants in this region as it’s not economically feasible. That is why as a leader in small modular reactors technologies Rosatom once decided to replicate SMR projects in such regions. The floating nuclear power plant operating in Pevek (FNPP, Rosenergoatom branch office) already addresses the issues both to replace the Bilibino NPP capacities as well as to provide power supply to the Baimskaya ore zone’s projects. The successful experience of its operation in the Arctic and the Far North has laid the ground to further leverage SMR technology for hard-to-reach and isolated areas. The dynamics shows that every year the share of carbon-neutral electricity in the total regional energy balance is steadily growing amounting to 28.5% of all electricity produced in Chukotka in 2023.