Ghanaian Journalist Justice Ahoto Returns After Touring World’s First Floating Nuclear Power Plant in Russia

Voiceafricaonline Desk Report 

Ghanaian energy journalist Justice John Ahoto of Voice Africa Online has returned home after joining select international reporters and energy industry players on a high-profile tour of Russia’s groundbreaking Akademik Lomonosov – the world’s first-ever floating nuclear power plant, stationed in the Arctic port city of Pevek.

The tour, organized by Russia’s State Atomic Energy Corporation, Rosatom, brought together energy journalists from across the globe, including two others from South Africa, to experience firsthand the innovations driving small-scale nuclear power technology.

Ahoto, whose platform, Voice Africa Online (VAO) is based in Ghana’s industrial city, Tema, Greater Accra, has become a notable voice in Africa’s energy reporting space, with a special focus on clean and sustainable energy alternatives. This marks his third official visit to Russia, reinforcing his growing profile as a Pan-African advocate for nuclear energy education and collaboration.

Floating Innovation in the Arctic

The Akademik Lomonosov, named after the 18th-century Russian scientist Mikhail Lomonosov, is a mobile nuclear power station designed to supply electricity to remote regions. The vessel, which measures 144 meters in length and 30 meters in width, is powered by two KLT-40S reactor systems, each capable of producing 35 megawatts of electricity — the same type used in Russian nuclear icebreakers.

“It’s a rare and humbling opportunity,” Ahoto said in an interview. “From visiting the land-based nuclear power plant in St. Petersburg in 2023 to now witnessing the world’s only operational floating plant in Pevek, this experience has deepened my understanding of nuclear technology’s potential for Africa.”

Promoting Nuclear Dialogue

Voice Africa Online, the independent news platform Ahoto represents, has consistently pushed for public education and transparency in the energy sector, especially around nuclear energy, which is increasingly gaining attention as a viable low-emission power source for African countries.

The latest visit adds to Ahoto’s growing portfolio of international nuclear engagements. In 2023, he was part of the media contingent at the Russia-Africa Summit and visited the Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant in St. Petersburg. In 2024, he attended the ATOMICEXPO in Sochi, along with other Ghanaian journalists including Emmanuel Aboagye-Wiafe of Asaase Radio and Mabel Annan of GBC.

Beyond the Tour

As part of the current two-week assignment, Ahoto and the other journalists also visited Atom Class, interacted with local engineers and nuclear scientists, and toured historical and cultural sites in northern Russia.

Rosatom’s initiative to invite African journalists is seen as part of a broader strategy to build mutual understanding and lay the groundwork for possible nuclear partnerships with African countries, including Ghana.

The visit is expected to feed into ongoing national conversations around Ghana’s nuclear energy ambitions and could bolster public understanding through localized reporting by Ahoto and his team.