Russia: Time capsule marks inauguration of first floating nuclear power plant

A ceremony was held in the northern town of Pevek, in Chukotka Autonomous region, Thursday, celebrating the construction of a floating nuclear power plant in the region. A memorial plaque and time capsule were revealed as part of the celebrations.
Sergei Zavyalov, director of an affiliate of Rosenergoatom, the project will provide "opportunities for the development of industrial enterprises and the extraction of minerals." According to Zavyalov, once the operating mode and the main energy unit have been tested, the expansion will continue, meeting all energy demands of the region "by looping the energy system."
The floating NPP, the Akademik Lomonosov, is to be constructed in St. Petersburg and the launch of the station at Pevek is scheduled for 2019. In the long run, the power plant should replace Akademik Lomonosov the old Bilibino and Chaunskaya plants in the Chukotka Autonomous Region.
Pevek was established after World War I to provide a port for the export of minerals as part of the expanding Northern Sea Route. It is considered a strategically important sea port for transportation of natural resources from Chukotka, such as oil, natural gas, coal, and gold.