Russia Manufactures RITM-200S Reactor for Floating Nuclear Power Unit
Equipment manufactured at the ZiO-Podolsk plant is intended to supply electricity to a major industrial cluster in Chukotka.
The design of the PEB-106 floating power unit calls for two RITM-200S reactors. The first has already been delivered to the shipyard and will soon be installed in the hull of the power unit to be built. Manufacturing the second reactor will complete the equipment package.
Sufficiently Precise to the Fraction of a Millimeter
The new reactor has completed a full cycle of hydraulic tests. The reactor's circuits were pressurized well above operating levels to verify the strength of the welded joints and the tightness of the vessel. A trial assembly confirmed that all components and assemblies fit together to within fractions of a millimeter – their dimensions match those specified in the digital models.
RITM-series reactors are distinguished by their compact size and high power density. Integrating the reactor core and steam generators into a single vessel reduces the weight of the installation and enhances its safety. This architecture eliminates the possibility of breaks in large-diameter primary-circuit piping, which is particularly important for marine and floating power units. One RITM-200S reactor has a thermal capacity of 175 MW, enough to supply an industrial facility with both heat and electricity.
Record Production Rates
This year has been a landmark year for ZiO-Podolsk, a Moscow-region enterprise of Rosatom's Machine-Building Division. The plant has set a historic record for producing small- and medium-power reactors. In less than a full calendar year, its staff have already manufactured four RITM-series units. Another five are in production.
Such production rates have been made possible by the systematic modernization of production lines and the introduction of lean manufacturing technologies. The plant has optimized logistics within its workshops and reduced the time required to reconfigure metalworking equipment.
The high utilization of production capacity is linked to an expanding order book for small-scale nuclear power. RITM reactors are in demand not only for floating nuclear power plants but also for small land-based power units. They are used at remote industrial facilities in the Arctic and Yakutia, where building large nuclear power plants is not economically viable. Serial production makes it possible to reduce the unit cost of each reactor and shorten manufacturing times.
Power for the Baimsky Copper Cluster
The nuclear industry is developing a series of floating power units (PEBs) specifically to supply electricity to the Baimsky Mining and Processing Plant in Chukotka. To provide a reliable power supply to the facility, which is located far from major nuclear power plants, Rosatom is building four upgraded floating power units at once.
The use of this equipment addresses a difficult infrastructure challenge. Chukotka Autonomous Okrug is not connected to Russia's unified power grid, while transporting fuel under Arctic conditions requires enormous logistical resources and carries environmental risks. Floating nuclear power plants equipped with RITM-200S reactors, by contrast, provide stable generation for decades to come.
The lead PEB for the Baimsky Mining and Processing Plant is scheduled to begin operation in 2029. All of the floating plants will be based offshore and transmit electricity to shore through dedicated subsea cable lines.
Digital Engineering and Industrial Cooperation
The development of RITM-200S reactors relies on extensive digitalization of engineering and manufacturing processes. The reactors are designed in a three-dimensional modeling environment. Designers create precise digital twins of all components, making it possible to identify potential clashes in advance and optimize the product's weight and dimensions before manufacturing begins.
Digital models accompany the reactor throughout its lifecycle. Data from metal forgings, welding parameters and hydraulic test results are automatically entered into the product's electronic passport. CNC machine operators work directly from three-dimensional models of the parts.
Several key enterprises of Rosatom's Machine-Building Division are involved in the manufacturing partnership. Afrikantov OKBM in Nizhny Novgorod serves as the chief designer and turnkey supplier of the reactor plant. AEM-Spetsstal in St. Petersburg produces the metal forgings for the reactor vessels. The ZiO-Podolsk plant manufactures the vessels themselves and performs final machining, trial assembly and comprehensive testing.
This distributed but deeply integrated manufacturing network enables high production rates while maintaining the consistently high quality of the nuclear reactors.
