Several sites have been identified for Russia’s first land-based small modular reactor, but the pilot project will be in Sakha (also known as Yakutia), an autonomous republic in eastern Russia, where it could be in operation by 2027 to provide power for the Kyuchus gold mine.

Evgeny Pakermanov, president of state-owned nuclear company Rusatom Overseas (RAOS JSC), said low-power nuclear power plants are designed primarily for remote areas where there is no central generation.

“In Sakha, the huge Kyuchus gold mine is the largest undeveloped mine in Russia,” he said. “It is impossible to bring diesel there in such volume. The only effective way is to build a small nuclear power plant.”

Asked about backup power for the project Mr Pakermanov said "this could be in the form of diesel, but if the nuclear facility has two reactors, they can at s backup for each other.