Floating Nuclear Power Plant as a Driver for the Sustainable Development of Arctic Cities (on the Example of Pevek)

In the context of the reorientation of the Russian economy to the Asian market, the importance of the Arctic zone is increasing, since it is a transport and logistics base on the Northern Sea Route, which is the shortest shipping route between the European part of Russia and the countries of the Asia-Pacific region. However, since the post-Soviet period, most Arctic cities and towns have been in decline. The article assesses what impact the implementation of such an investment project as the creation and commissioning of a floating nuclear power plant can have on the municipal economy of an Arctic town. The study was conducted on the example of Pevek. The aim of the work is to determine the changes in the socio-economic situation of the town due to the launch of the floating nuclear power plant. The study was completed in the context of the Concept of Sustainable development of territories. Using the methods of retrospective analysis and descriptive statistics, an assessment of indicators illustrating the state of the social, environmental and economic spheres of the town was carried out. The creation of new high-paying and high-tech jobs at the nuclear power plant, the attraction of qualified specialists from other regions of Russia to them compensated for the migration outflow from Pevek and caused population growth. The wage growth caused an increase in the average per capita income of residents and a decrease in the proportion of the population with monetary incomes below the subsistence level. Raising the level of the local budget sustainability at the expense of the personal income tax has allowed increasing budget expenditures, including on improving the urban environment and the quality of life of the entire city population. The study shows that the revival of the Arctic is possible only due to an effective government policy aimed at cooperation with corporations, since towns’ own resources are not enough to restore their economies. One of the newest solutions, which can breathe new life into Arctic towns, is the attraction of such a large investor as Rosatom State Corporation and the implementation of projects for the placement of floating nuclear power plants.

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