Floating nuke plant sends first power to Arctic Russia

MOSCOW – A floating nuclear power plant widely criticized by environmentalists started sending electricity Thursday to a region in Russia’s Arctic.

The floating plant, named the Akademik Lomonosov, was sent in August to the Chukotka Peninsula, an area 5,500 kilometres (3,400 miles) northeast of Moscow. It began delivering power to the port of Pevek on Thursday, Russian nuclear agency Rosatom said.

Environmentalists have criticized the project as inherently dangerous and a threat to the pristine Arctic region. Rosatom has dismissed the concerns, insisting the 70-megawatt plant is safe to operate.