The ABV-6M is one of two floating commercial nuclear power plant designs being developed in the Russian Federation derived from reactor designs used for propulsion of ice-breakers. It is an integral pressurized water reactor except that the gas pressurizer and control rod drive mechanisms are external to the reactor vessel. The ABV-6M uses natural circulation of the primary coolant. Fuel assemblies are the same as used in the larger KLT-40S design (described below). Each 38 MWt unit has a capacity of 8.5 MWe. The complete power unit is approximately 5 m long by 3.6 m wide by 4.5 m tall and weighs 200 tons.

Figure 2.6 ABV-6M (Russian Federation) — OKBM Afriantov © Joint Stock Company ‘Afriantov OKB Mechanical Engineering’.

Normally two units are mounted on a barge with a maximum size of 140 m length by 21 m width capable of navigating the larger rivers in Russia. Each unit can also run in co-generation mode producing 6 MWe of electricity and 14 MWt of heat for water desalination (20 000 m3/day) or district heat applications (12 Gkal/h). Initial construction, routine refueling and maintenance, and final decommission of the units will be conducted at a centralized facility. No on-board refueling will be performed. The ABV-6M is also being considered for land-based siting and would be shipped to the site by truck or barge as a prefabricated package. Key parameters and a representative graphic for the ABV-6M design are given in Figure 2.6. [6, 7]