Chapter 692 Eat both ends
Ten days?
Ours is a canal that goes all over the world. Even if the dredger is very powerful, it is impossible to widen the canal wide enough and deep enough in ten days! The current width is 303 meters, and it will be widened by up to ten meters to 313 meters! What's the use? Osama cursed in his heart, but he could also understand: This was simply a show of restoring global confidence in the Suez Canal.
You asked us to widen it, and we will widen it. First, it will be wider than before, so that it will be more convenient to pass. As for two-way traffic? We have phase 2 and phase 3 projects coming up. If you wait, they will definitely be expanded!
This solves the current problem and delays it for a few months. In winter, those ships taking the Arctic route will have to come to the Suez Canal obediently? At that time, tolls continued to be collected in large amounts. Once we have the money, maybe we can continue to expand to two-way navigation next year?
"Osama, contact the Mingzhou Group immediately and ask them to continue driving to the Suez Canal and start widening the waterway! When the time comes, I will also visit the site in person to thank them for their generous help!" the leader said.
"yes!"
In this way, the vigorous canal widening project has begun. However, no matter how you look at it, it looks like a farce. The widening from 303 meters to 313 meters has no practical significance.
What shipowners want most is two-way traffic. It would only make sense to widen it from 300 meters to 600 meters!
However, after receiving the news, Qin Tao was quite satisfied.
"If they really widen it to 600 meters, then our Arctic shipping route will be really dangerous." Qin Tao said: "Their short-sighted behavior now will also bring about the same problems, such as ships losing control and blocking the shipping route. Wait, so the Arctic route will definitely continue to be favored by shipowners. By the way, when the construction is completed, we will ask the Pyramid State to issue us with qualified documentation to avoid pouring dirty water on us in the future."
There will definitely be a blockage, but after the next blockage, the Pyramid State may find an excuse: the Mingzhou Group's dredger did not dig deep enough, so the losses caused by this incident must be compensated by the Mingzhou Group!
These are all things that must be prevented in advance to avoid being tricked by people from the Pyramid Country.
“They will still do this?” Zhao Ling felt incredible.
"Of course, you must be careful when dealing with foreign countries." Qin Tao said: "Needless to say, this kind of fee-based project, even if it is donated, foreigners can find faults and claim compensation. Don't overestimate it. Destroyed their moral integrity."
There is a precedent for this. There was a natural disaster somewhere in the United States. A certain domestic company knelt down, no, it was a gesture of friendship and took the initiative to donate a large amount of materials. A few years later, they were sued for compensation. These materials were not environmentally friendly! If you don’t tell them when you first use it, you will find trouble later and demand a large amount of compensation. Whether it is purchased or donated, it is not environmentally friendly. As a result, this company really lost a lot of money.
Zhao Ling nodded.
“Mr. Qin, do you want to go over and take a look this time? This can also express the great contribution our Mingzhou Group has made to the world economy.” Xu Zhengyang asked.
Qin Tao shook his head: "No, after all, this is not free, it is a normal business cooperation. I will not come forward and let the limelight go to the people of the Pyramid Country. The floating offshore power station has been built, right? I have to Go and participate in the ceremony.”
Of course, the Pyramid State would not refuse this opportunity to show off. When the dredger arrived at the entrance of the canal, a large number of people had already appeared along the canal. The big leader stood on the podium set up there and looked at the countless people below. camera and cameras and started speaking.
"We in the Pyramid State attach great importance to the safety of international shipping routes. In order to prevent canal congestion from happening again, we have decided to spend a large amount of money and hire the most advanced dredgers in the world to widen the waterway! Dear ship owners, please , and companies with shipping needs from all over the world can rest assured that our shipping routes are very safe and secure!”
One of the biggest benefits of the canal is safety. After all, during the navigation, there are always people along the coast, and there are coast guards from various countries. This is something that the Arctic route can never compare to.
There was a sound of applause below. In the midst of this sound, the dredger was deployed. Countless cameras were focused here again, watching the dredger skillfully pull out the mud from the bottom of the river and then lift it to the shore. A few dozen meters away, the river bank was constantly collapsing and widening.
It’s so awesome, this island-building artifact is so domineering!
At almost the same time, the Arctic sea route and the Yamal oil and gas field were established.
After a long journey, a semi-submersible ship finally arrived at the port of the oil and gas field, where it unloaded the cargo it carried.
This product is quite special, like an overturned bell. The large round part on one side, that is, the mouth of the bell, is directly welded with steel plates. On the other side, two protrusions protrude from the top of the bell. The o'clock does not look like the clock, and it is somewhat similar to the hairstyle of ancient children.
The semi-submersible boat sank slowly, and this thing was immersed in the water alternately. What was very amazing was that although this thing was a symmetrical structure, it did not roll back and forth in the water.
At this time, the people on the shore were very emotional when they saw the arrival of this huge creature.
“President Qin, you have lived up to expectations and improved this first offshore floating nuclear power plant!” Nicholas said with a smile: “From now on, our Yamal Oilfield will also have a more advanced nuclear power supply!”
“This is what we should do, and the remaining nuclear power plants will be transformed as soon as possible.” Qin Tao said: “In the future, we may be able to get more orders to jointly work on the project of large floating nuclear power plants.”
Back then, the Chelyabinsk crashed, causing an uproar. After all, this was Lao Maozi's most advanced nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine, a killer weapon tailor-made for aircraft carriers. Its crash was as if it was an imperial submarine. Same as the sunset.
After that, Mingzhou Group provided great help, rescuing the crew of the submarine and salvaging the rear half of the nuclear submarine. In addition, in order to help Damao recover its losses, it also proposed the idea of a floating nuclear power plant at sea.
Now, this idea has finally become a reality.
It is the rear half of the Chelyabinsk, except that the tail rudder and propeller have been removed. Anyway, the current nuclear power plant no longer needs the ability to move. As for the reason why it can maintain stability, of course it is the submarine structure. , there is a ballast water tank underneath, which is just like a tumbler, it is impossible to capsize.
Mingzhou Group's improvement is very simple and crude: cut off the last part, insert two generators, and then weld them together, leaving everything else unchanged, and then add the power control part. That's it, a floating nuclear power plant at sea. That's how it was created.
Even so, it took a long time. Safety construction is very important, and no nuclear leakage can occur.
Now, it has finally been safely delivered to users!
High-voltage transmission lines have long been erected on the shore, and they can be connected through cables to the opening in the tail of the submarine.
“Yes, the prospect of offshore floating nuclear power plants is very broad, and many countries need it. We will definitely make it bigger and stronger in this area. Now, let’s go up and take a look?” Nikolai suggested.
“Okay, let’s go up and take a look. After our transformation, this submarine has been transformed from a war machine into an equipment for the peaceful use of nuclear energy.” Qin Tao said.
Although it is called a floating nuclear power plant, it cannot float aimlessly on the sea. This is a port after all. What if it is hit by a Captain Madaha?
Therefore, the offshore floating nuclear power plant needs to be fixed and floating in the port. The port here is specially prepared for it. Normally no ships will come near it. After the anchor is stabilized, personnel can also enter and exit through the ramp welded on the hull.
"There are sensors on the hatch. Once the wind and waves are too strong, or the draft of the floating nuclear power plant exceeds a certain level, the entrance and exit cabin will be closed." When Qin Tao and Nicholas walked to the fixed hatch of the offshore floating nuclear power plant When he was standing by, he introduced it.
Although this thing is a floating power station, what if it sinks? We must find a way to solve it. This automatic hatch is a means of insurance.
Nicola nodded: “Not bad!”
"It can actually be unattended inside. However, in order to be more safe and reliable, a two-person team can be dispatched to work inside. We have specially prepared a freezer, which can store more than half a month's worth of food and electrolyzed water. The oxygen-generating equipment has also been retained, so even if there is an accident, the people inside can hold on for half a month and wait for rescue. Of course, in order to be more safe, you can also provide adequate insurance for employees."
Qin Tao said this to the person in charge of the oil field. After all, there is no electricity transmitted from other areas and it is completely self-sufficient.
In fact, the Yamal Oilfield can completely use gas turbines to generate electricity. In many countries that export natural gas, natural gas is burned to generate electricity, and gas turbines also happen to be used. This thing is not only suitable for heavy oil, diesel and kerosene, but also suitable for Use natural gas.
When the Yamal Oilfield was first developed, a natural gas generating unit was installed. However, the power of that unit was too small. At best, it could only be used by the oil field and could not be supplied to the outside world at all.
Now, with the opening of the Arctic route, a certain number of berthing ports must be designed along the way. Even if it is just to dock some rescue ships, the safety of the route must be ensured. Yamal is one of the largest ports along the way. The number of ships berthing here is expected to be There will be a lot of them, so they must have enough power supply.
After various considerations, the first offshore floating nuclear power plant was placed here. Lao Maozi is ambitious. With the opening up of shipping routes, this place may become a transit port and a large city with a large population. The power supply must be sufficient, and nuclear power plants are most suitable in this inhospitable place. Moreover, the permafrost on the plateau is not suitable for construction, so this floating nuclear power plant on the sea is very suitable.
Even in the cold winter, electricity can be used directly for heating, and the extracted natural gas must be shipped and transported.
The person in charge of the oil field immediately patted his chest and assured that this little money cannot be saved!
Nicholas had been on a submarine countless times before, so he was no stranger to it. He climbed in with ease, and what appeared in front of him was the place where employees work and live.
A row of modern display and control panels with large screens that look very modern. Qin Tao was not joking when he said it could be fully automated. The entire nuclear power plant has been transformed and can be fully automated.
What is artificial intelligence used for? Of course, it comes into play at special times. For example, if there is a sudden accident and someone needs to manually shut down the reactor, it is best not to happen. But if it happens, someone has to sacrifice.
In fact, it is enough to keep one person, but one person also has risks. For example, what if this person has an ulterior motive? For example, what should I do if this person has endured loneliness for a long time and has psychological problems?
So, two people are required so that they can supervise each other. As for gender, there is no requirement. It is also possible to match men and women.
This is the part of the bell mouth. The space is quite good. There are several floors up and down. The upper part is the duty room, and the lower part is the resting place. There are two separate rooms and even a bathing area. Anyway, the original ones are used. As for the seawater desalination facility we carry, it is not necessary to connect it to outside pipes. The pipes may freeze in winter.
"I think there will definitely be a large number of people signing up to work here. The living conditions here are so superior." Nicholas said: "Of course, considering the technical issues, retired submarine engineers should be the best after training. suitable."
“Yes, it’s best to serve on the Oscar nuclear submarine. They are most familiar with submarines. From here, we can reach the engine room backwards.”
The layout of nuclear submarines is similar. There are two two-seat VM-5 pressurized water reactors in the engine room. This is also a common nuclear reactor that Lao Maozi used in the 1980s. The thermal power is 200 megawatts. They are arranged in series along the center line of the boat. The nuclear reactors are heated. The steam is transferred to the two steam turbine units at the back, each of which can provide 98,000 horsepower. However, on the submarine, the power output by the steam turbine passes through the propeller shaft directly at the tail of the reducer, and now, a generator is connected in series behind the steam turbine.
In fact, this kind of nuclear submarine originally also had a generator. In order to provide power to the entire boat, each turbine has a dedicated output shaft to drive the ДГ-190 turbine generator, each with a power of 3,200 kilowatts. If it is only supplied to nuclear submarines If it were a nuclear power plant, this power would be more than enough, but now, if it is used as a nuclear power plant, using only this kind of generator would be a waste.
"The generators we provide are each 35 megawatts. Currently, you only need to start one generator, and the power is enough. Therefore, the two nuclear reactors can run alternately, thus maintaining the same life span. When this place develops in the future, The two generators will work together again." Qin Tao introduced to everyone.
Nicholas nodded: "Yes, this power is enough for us. The putting of this floating nuclear power plant into use also represents our strong support for the Arctic shipping route. We hope that our shipping route will continue to develop and grow!"
"That's for sure. Even if the Suez Canal is widened, the shipping route here can still save a lot of voyages. Our fleet will not leave until winter, especially in the Yamal Port, where we will transport a large number of natural gas ships. "
There are oil and gas fields here in Yamal, but transportation is not easy and they have not been developed. Now with the development of the Arctic sea route, the oil and gas resources here will finally be transported out in large quantities!
It is not only Eastern fleets that come here to load cargo, but also European fleets. After all, Europe's demand for natural gas has been increasing in recent years.
“Qin, do you think we should deploy some troops here to better protect maritime trade?”
Hearing what Nicholas said, Qin Tao quickly shook his head: "No, no, at most the coast guard is enough. Even the coast guard is not needed, as long as there is the most ordinary sea rescue force, Nicholas, my Friends, you should know that the issue of ownership of the Arctic route has always been brought up by people with ulterior motives. If you show military power here, you are likely to be taken advantage of by these people."
Nicola nodded.
Of course Mao claims that this sea route is its own, but if other countries don’t do it, it has to be global. Now that the sea route has been opened, Mao does not charge tolls, it only charges icebreaker tolls. If military force is deployed, it may be hyped up by some people and exaggerate the threat, which is not worth the gain.
He could only give up the idea. Now, he has great trust in Qin Tao.
“Now that everyone has finished the tour, let’s go ashore and start up the nuclear power plant. This is a new beginning!” Qin Tao said: “Let the whole world know this news!”
After it is started, it should run normally. Currently, people hired by the Mingzhou Group are helping to guard it, but in the future it will be transitioned to Damao's own manpower. However, as long as it is started, there will be no idle people here.
Everyone came ashore, and the nuclear reactor began to slowly start up. The core gradually heated up, and the steam slowly gathered. The primary circuit, the secondary circuit, the steam turbine...the surging power was transmitted to the shore through cables.
"Turn on the lights, turn on all the lights!" Nikolai said excitedly: "We want to tell the world that the energy from advanced offshore floating nuclear power plants has been used here! We will provide fleets around the world with energy A safe haven!”
The news that Yamal Port has a floating nuclear power plant at sea spread quickly around through images and sounds, and the world's attention turned away from the canal under construction and turned to Yamal Port.
"Damn, they are competing with us!" Looking at the picture of the nuclear power plant on the TV, Osama was a little annoyed: "These big guys know that we want to widen the canal, so they deliberately show their floating nuclear power plant on the sea!"
“This nuclear power plant was built by the Mingzhou Group and was modified from the Oscar nuclear submarine that had the accident.” Debi said from the side: “These Mingzhou people are really hateful, they eat both sides!”
For a multinational enterprise, of course, business must be spread all over the world, and it is no problem to provide help to two competitors at the same time.
Furthermore, this is also an Eastern tradition. In the war in the 1980s, the weapons used by both warring parties were produced by the same country.
"Yes, it is so abominable for them to do this, but for us, this is something we have to accept. Now, we just hope that there will be no accidents in the river widening project." Osama raised his head and looked at the distance. There is a dredger under construction in the river. Although the Arctic route makes them unhappy, I have to say that the movement of this dredger is really fast. They say that the East is an infrastructure maniac. Now it seems that they are really right. .
The same complaints are still being made in some places.
"Damn, what do the Easterners think? We are big customers, can't they provide us with a preferential price?" Senyavin was a little annoyed when he saw Akar who had come back all the way.
"Mr. Qin is right. Their exchange rate changes greatly, so this quotation should be within a reasonable range." Akar said.
Akar is actually still speaking for the other party? Xeniavin rolled his eyes at him, knowing that he could just say this to excuse his own incompetence. How could it be reasonable? The price has more than doubled, is this still reasonable? what are you thinking?
"Now, if we cannot purchase spherical steel and boilers, we will not be able to repair the aircraft carrier. If we cannot repair this aircraft carrier, the people of the country will be disappointed." Akar said: "Your Excellency Senyavin, we still want to Let’s find a way to raise money.”
Raising money? Is there any other way to raise money?
In the 1990s, the local chicken economy experienced a take-off, but the good times did not last long and it began to fall into the curse of inflation. In 1995, their inflation rate was as high as 105%.
Now, the domestic currency of Turkey is already the least valuable in the world, even better than the Zimbabwean dollar. The maximum denomination is two million. When you spend money, you have to count the zeros after it. The minimum free one is 50,000. At the turn of the millennium, it reached its most outrageous point, with 1 million lire being exchanged for only 1 U.S. dollar.
The local economy is like this, with inflation and currency devaluation. Now, how can they support the aircraft carrier project in the country?
“Should we start a fundraiser?” Akar said, already thinking seriously about a solution.
"No, if this is the case, it will reveal that our warship has major problems, and we will all be responsible for dereliction of duty." Senyavin rejected this plan.
“Then we will issue a lottery, just like the national defense lottery issued by the Orientals, we will issue an aircraft carrier lottery.”
“This is not a project that can be completed in a short time.”
“Then let’s sell an outdated decommissioned warship?”
“How much can it be sold for? It’s simply not enough.”
Akar tried many methods one after another, but none was suitable.
Senyavin sighed: "It seems that there is only one way."
“What method?” Akar was full of expectations.
“Borrow money, use our aircraft carrier as collateral, borrow enough money from the bank to repair it, and pay it back next year or in the next fiscal budget!”
(End of this chapter)