Floating nuclear power plant

20th century The first floating nuclear power station was the MH-1A, using pressurized water reactor built in a converted Liberty ship, which achieved criticality in 1967. Proposals to build floating nuclear power plants off the coast of New Jersey and off Jacksonville, Florida were considered in the 1970's but ultimately scrapped. 21st century In the 21st century, Russia has been a leader in the development of floating nuclear power stations. On 14 September 2019, Russia’s first floating nuclear plant, Akademik Lomonosov, arrived at its permanent location in the Chukotka region. It began operation on 19 December 2019. In 2022, the United States Department of Energy funded a three-year study to research offshore floating nuclear power generation. That same year, NuScale Power and Canadian company Prodigy announced a joint project to develop a North American small modular reactor-based floating plant. Samsung and UK-based Core Power are also exploring the use of compact molten salt reactor technology for floating platforms, with Samsung proposing a modular power barge capable of producing up to 800 MWe. == Advantages ==

Floating nuclear power plants offer several benefits: • They require little to no land use and minimal concrete construction. • They are resistant to earthquakes. • They can be relocated, refueled, refurbished, and decommissioned with relative ease. • They are surrounded by water, which can be used for both active and passive cooling. • They can provide power to remote areas where conventional plants may not be practical. == See also ==