Recently, a Russian organization announced its intentions to develop power barges for remote areas based on their proven 70 MW nuclear ice breakerengines. This issue of AEI takes a look at the growing market for barge mounted power plants and investigates two early nuclear power barge programs.
DoE Ordered to Begin Accepting Waste (July 24, 1996) – A federal appeals court ordered the Department of Energy to begin accepting spent nuclear fuel no later than January 31, 1998. This decision specifically rejected the DoE’s claim that the requirements of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 did not apply if there was…
Sources for Atomic Energy Insights August 1996 (Power Barges) Simpson, John Nuclear Power from Underseas to Outer Space, American Nuclear Society, La Grange Park, IL 1995. Valenti, Michael Power Plants to Go, Mechanical Engineering, May 1996. Raytheon and Westinghouse Consortium Awarded 382 Million for Pakistani Power Project, Press Release dated April 22, 1996. Floating N-Plants:…
The Army Nuclear Power program recognized the potential benefits of putting a nuclear power plant on a water mobile platform in the early 1960s. In January, 1963, construction began on the Sturgis, a World War II vintage Liberty ship hull modified to accept installation of a 10,000 kilowatt pressurized water nuclear steam plant. Designated the…
The northern coast of Russia is an area endowed with rich natural resources and vast mineral wealth but burdened with a limited infrastructure. Because of the extremely cold winters, transportation is difficult and infrequent. During the Soviet era, finding workers to exploit the riches was not difficult; they had little choice in the matter. Once…
Most people associated with the nuclear industry, and many residents of Florida have some knowledge of the ill-fated Westinghouse/Newport News Offshore Power System project. Begun in 1970, this project was based on two ideas. The first was that a series of identical reactors produced in a factory type setting could be completed in a shorter…
Electric power sources are on or near the top of the wish list for many developing nations. Business, social and government leaders recognize that reliable sources of electricity are essential to a modern economy. Without electricity, computers do not compute, mass transit systems cannot function, air conditioners do not enhance productivity, dryers do not dry,…
The power barge market seems to be moving in several different directions depending on the specific needs of the potential customers and the business model of the various suppliers. There are complex, high tech projects that are aiming for higher and higher levels of efficiency and gains in scale economies. These projects are often slated…