Pevek, Russia. The cries of seagulls riding on the ocean breeze greeted Investor Daily journalists at the Akademik Lomonosov floating nuclear power plant in Pevek, a port town in the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia, on Tuesday.

The power barge is the world’s first floating nuclear power station, owned and operated by Rosatom, a state-run nuclear energy corporation. Named after 18th-century Russian academician Mikhail Lomonosov, the facility measures 144.2 meters in length and 30 meters in width. It has been docked in Chaunskaya Bay, part of the East Siberian Sea, since mid-2020. The facility's blue, white, and red colors blend seamlessly with the icy waters and atmospheric backdrop.

The barge boasts eight levels and four decks, equipped with amenities such as a basketball court, ping pong tables, a fitness center, and a swimming pool. There is also a sauna available for the 260 workers, who are assigned for two-month rotations and work in shifts to ensure the facility operates 24/7.

A tour inside Akademik Lomonosov felt more like boarding a passenger ferry than a nuclear reactor. Employees wore ordinary coverall suits instead of masks or radioactive protection gear, and surprisingly, there were no radioactive symbols visible on the walls.

Viktor Nikolayevich Chyorny, the facility’s Deputy Chief Engineer for Engineering Support and Quality, assured the operational safety of the floating nuclear power station. Akademik Lomonosov supplies electricity to the nearby town and is protected by a comprehensive radiation monitoring system. Chyorny said radiation levels in Pevek have not changed since the Akademik Lomonosov docked just 1 kilometer from the city.

"Safety is our utmost priority. We have around 1,000 sensors for radiation monitoring with different parameters according to regulations,” Chyorny said.

His claim is supported by the presence of wildlife, with many ducks -- known as "utkas" in Russian --swimming comfortably near the barge. The presence of wildlife around the facility indicates that Akademik Lomonosov produces environmentally friendly energy.

Akademik Lomonosov houses two reactors with a combined capacity of 70 megawatts, sufficient to meet the energy needs of 100,000 people. Its peak output was 60 megawatts, driven by increased demand from gold mines in Chukotka. The barge is connected to the Chauny-Bilibino power network.

"The highest demand typically comes from the mining industry," Chyorny said.

In addition to electricity, Akademik Lomonosov has been providing heating for Pevek residents since September 2020.

Pevek is an Arctic town within the North Polar Circle, experiencing Polar Night -- where the night lasts over 24 hours -- and Polar Day, where the sun remains above the horizon for more than 24 hours between mid-May and the end of July. Polar Night occurs from the end of November to mid-January. The average temperature in Pevek is minus 10.4 degrees Celsius. The temperature rises above freezing typically during the first ten days of June, with the hottest average temperature not exceeding 8 degrees Celsius in July. Temperatures return to subzero in September, and wind speeds can reach 20-40 meters per second.

Pevek has a population of about 5,000, mostly of working age, earning it the reputation of a workers' city without retired residents. Locals work in gold mines, geology and meteorology stations, factories, wildlife conservation areas, and the nuclear power plant.

"They leave Pevek upon retirement to live in warmer areas,” said Igor Petrenya, the acting chairman of the Pevek Education Center.