Environmental groups are concerned that floating plants will be more vulnerable to accidents and terrorism than land-based stations . They point to a history of naval and nuclear accidents in Russia and the former Soviet Union , including the Chernobyl disaster of 1986 . Russia does have 50 years of experience operating a fleet of nuclear-powered icebreakers that are also used for scientific and Arctic tourism expeditions . The Russians have commented that a nuclear reactor that sinks , such as the similar reactor on the submarine in the Kursk submarine disaster , can be raised and probably put back into operation
Kursk submarine disaster
Kursk submarine disaster
Russian floating nuclear power station