Rosatom and Indonesia agree on floating nuclear power project

Under the agreement, Rosatom plans to deploy two FPU-100 floating nuclear power units, each with a generating capacity of 100 MW, to supply electricity to the northern part of Halmahera Island in North Maluku, eastern Indonesia.

The units will be equipped with RITM-200M marine nuclear reactors, developed from the RITM-series technology already used aboard Russia’s nuclear-powered icebreaker fleet. The FPU-100 design has been adapted for operation in warm climates, with Rosatom positioning the technology as a source of continuous, low-carbon electricity for remote coastal communities and industrial facilities.

According to Rosatom, the floating units could begin supplying electricity within five years of the key terms of the electricity supply contract taking effect.

Alexey Likhachev, Director General of Rosatom, described the agreement as a significant step in bilateral nuclear energy cooperation, emphasizing its potential to establish a long-term partnership between the two countries.

Meanwhile, Yudi Utomo Imardjoko, Director of PT Pembangkit Listrik Nuklir, said the project would support Indonesia’s growing electricity demand and economic development in its eastern regions. He also clarified that the initiative is structured as a business-to-business investment without funding from Indonesia’s state budget.

Floating nuclear technology and expansion plans

The agreement builds on Rosatom’s experience operating the Akademik Lomonosov, the world’s first floating nuclear power plant, which has supplied electricity in Russia’s Chukotka region since 2020. Equipped with two KLT-40S reactors, the facility has generated nearly 1.4 billion kWh of electricity since entering operation, according to the corporation.

The planned Indonesian units will use newer RITM-200M reactors, designed to offer greater power output, a more compact configuration and longer refueling intervals than previous-generation systems.

Rosatom is also constructing a series of FPU-106 floating nuclear power units equipped with RITM-200S reactors to supply electricity to an industrial mining cluster in Chukotka.

The Indonesian project forms part of broader nuclear energy cooperation between the two countries. In 2025, Indonesia included nuclear power in its national energy plan as part of efforts to strengthen energy security and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.

Rosatom has proposed a two-stage approach to nuclear development in Indonesia, beginning with small-scale floating nuclear power units and potentially progressing to land-based nuclear power plants with larger reactors.

The agreement marks a proposed expansion of floating nuclear power technology into international markets, with implementation and electricity delivery dependent on the project’s contractual arrangements and subsequent development.