Safe development of nuclear power technologies in the Arctic: prospects and approaches

Abstract

The demands for nuclear power technologies in the Arctic for solving social and economic problems of the state can only be satisfied if adequate strategies of their safe handling at all stages from design to decommissioning are defined, methodological approaches and mathematical models for predicting and minimizing adverse environmental impacts of potential emergency situations at such facilities are developed, and scientifically-based results yielded within a decision-making support system for the elimination of such emergencies are applied. Special relevance of these requirements is determined by unique features of the Arctic nature and its role in the generation of climatic and hydrological processes in the World Ocean. Main results and generalized conclusions based on the analysis of radiological consequences of the large-scale application of nuclear power industry for the benefit of economic development of the Arctic region are provided in the present paper. The analysis was performed within the framework of the complex research project “Development of the methodological approaches and mathematical models to access the environmental impact of the possible accidents at the floating nuclear power objects, model calculations of the radiation propagation in the Arctic aquatic territories in case of emergency situations”. The increasing demand for the low-power nuclear power plants for the benefit of development of remote areas, the technological and economic advantages of such power plants as well as minimal possible environmental consequences of the hypothetic accidents resulted in the qualitative changes in the attitude towards their usage. Estimation was made of the scale of application of nuclear power and results were obtained of numerical modeling of distribution of reactivity in case of accidents. The conclusion was drawn on the necessity to adhere to the low-power nuclear energy generation development strategy based on the modular design concept.