Rosenergoatom Concern, the electric power division of Rosatom, has officially been granted the status of operating organisation for a small-capacity nuclear power plant in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). As reported by TASS, citing the press service of the state corporation, the relevant order was signed by Alexey Likhachev, the head of Rosatom.

Currently, Rosenergoatom operates 11 active Russian nuclear power plants, including a floating nuclear thermal power plant located in Chukotka. Nuclear power plants account for about 20% of Russia's energy balance, and this figure is expected to reach 25% by 2045 as per the directive of the Russian President.

The nuclear power plant in Yakutia, based on the 55 MW RITM-200N reactor unit, is a flagship project of Rosatom in the field of land-based small-capacity nuclear power plants. The power station will be constructed in the Yakutsk settlement of Ust-Kuyga. The remote northern territories of Yakutia will receive a reliable and high-quality source of power for the development of the Kyuchus gold deposit and other mineral resources.

The small-capacity nuclear power plant project is based on the latest Russian development — the RITM-200N light-water moderated reactor, which is an adaptation of innovative shipboard technology for land-based deployment. The RITM-200 series reactors have been tested under harsh Arctic conditions on Russia's latest icebreakers. Compared to traditional power stations, the Yakutsk small-capacity nuclear power plant will be significantly more compact, which will expedite its construction.