One of the chief engineers of Russia's first floating nuclear power station is dismissing fears that the vessel could turn into "Chernobyl on ice," The Guardian reports.
"We're talking about totally different systems," Vladimir Irminku said. "There should always be skepticism [of new technology]. But they're going overboard. If they say there is a possibility of an accident with the reactor then they have to present evidence."
Russia is planning to dispatch the vessel, named the Akademik Lomonosov, on a 4,000-mile journey along the Northern Sea Route, as part of Russia's plans for Arctic expansion so it can provide power to remote locations. But environmental groups are worried. Greenpeace has described the floating power plant as a "nuclear titanic," and the Bellona Foundation theorized that a tsunami could toss the plant on shore, leading to a "grave" nuclear accident
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Irminku had answers for that, as well. For starters, he said, the ice-cold water beneath the reactor could be used as a coolant in the case of an accident until help arrived, while a dock constructed around the power station would mitigate damage from waves, and the reactors' emergency systems can cool them without an electricity supply for 24 hours.
Even if it's safe, though, Thomas Nilsen, the editor of The Barents Observer newspaper, described the vessel as nothing more than a "PR Project" anyway. Read more at The Guardian.
-
September 28 editorial cartoonsCartoons Sunday's political cartoons include the Jim Comey indictment and Pam Bondi as a the Wicked Witch of the West
-
The Liberal Democrats: on the march?Talking Point After winning their highest number of seats in 2024, can the Lib Dems marry ‘stunts’ with a ‘more focused electoral strategy’?
-
Your Party: a Pythonesque shamblesTalking Point Comical disagreements within Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana's group highlight their precarious position
-
China vows first emissions cut, sidelining USSpeed Read The US, the world’s No. 2 emitter, did not attend the New York summit
-
At least 800 dead in Afghanistan earthquakespeed read A magnitude 6.0 earthquake hit a mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan
-
Massive earthquake sends tsunami across PacificSpeed Read Hundreds of thousands of people in Japan and Hawaii were told to evacuate to higher ground
-
FEMA Urban Search and Rescue chief resignsSpeed Read Ken Pagurek has left the organization, citing 'chaos'
-
Wildfires destroy historic Grand Canyon lodgeSpeed Read Dozens of structures on the North Rim have succumbed to the Dragon Bravo Fire
-
Search for survivors continues after Texas floodsSpeed Read A total of 82 people are confirmed dead, including 28 children
-
EPA is reportedly killing Energy Star programspeed read The program for energy-efficient home appliances has saved consumers billions in energy costs since its 1992 launch
-
US proposes eroding species protectionsSpeed Read The Trump administration wants to change the definition of 'harm' in the Environmental Protection Act to allow habitat damage
