With floating nuclear power plant comes need for better airport in Pevek, says governor

Upgrades of the Pevek airport was the key point presented by Kopin in last week’s meeting with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. The meeting devoted to Arctic infrastructure development took place in Murmansk and included all the governors of the country’s North.

According to the governor Kopin, Pevek is becoming a key spot in the Russian Arctic as nuclear power company Rosatom develops the «Akademik Lomonosov» floating nuclear power plant project.

«The airport of Pevek, which is capable of handling all kind of aircrafts, will be of utmost importance», Kopin told the premier, a press release from the regional government reads.

In addition to the nuclear power project comes the nearby Peschanka copper project. The project includes an annual out-shipment of 1,2 million tons of ore, the governor says. The Peschanka project is owned by Baimskaya Mining Company LLC, a part of Millhouse of Roman Abramovich.

The construction of Baimsk mining and processing company is to start in 2018. The start of production is scheduled for 2022, sibproject.ru informs.

The power produced by «Akademik Lomonosov» might be key for supplies to the Peschanka project.

The «Akademik Lomonosov» is the world’s first floating NPP. It is built by the Baltic Yard in St. Petersburg. When ready, the plant is to be towed along the Norwegian coast and eastwards along the Russian Norther Sea Route.

The plan is to put the nuclear power plant into operation on site in the Arctic in November 2019. Construction of infrastructure in Pevek is already in full swing, and ground works with the protection dam to surrond the plant is reportedly already 79 percent finished.

 The Independent Barents Observer