MOSCOW, Sept 14 (Reuters) - Russia's first-floating nuclearpower plant has arrived to its permanent base near an isolatedRussian town across the Bering Strait from Alaska, Russian statenuclear energy company Rosatom said on Saturday.
Developed by Rosatom, the plant, known as "AkademikLomonosov", set off on a 5,000 km (3,100 mile) journey on Aug.23 through Arctic waters to reach the Chukotka region.Rosatom said it aims to make the floating station operationalby the year-end. It would become the world's northernmostnuclear power station.
The plant will replace a coal-fired power plant and an agingnuclear power plant supplying more than 50,000 people withelectricity in Chukotka.
Rosatom has long planned to launch the sea-borne powerunits, which, with their mobile, small capacity plants, are bestsuited to remote regions. It has said they can help theenvironment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions blamed forglobal warming.
The small plants were designed to make it possible to supplyelectricity to hard-to-reach areas of Russia. They can operatenon-stop without the need for refuelling for 3-5 years.
Environmental protection groups, including Greenpeace, haveexpressed their concerns over potential safety issues.(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin, editing by Louise Heavens)