Russia began construction of the world's first floating nuclear power plant on Sunday.

The plant will be aboard a barge where two reactors will be manned by less than 60 crew. The 300-million-U.S. dollar project is expected to be completed in 2010, the Itar-Tass news agency reported.

The plant was designed to satisfy the energy needs of the country's north and far east region but will also be sold to other countries, the report quoted First Vice Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov at saying at the launch ceremony in the northeastern city of Serverodvinsk.

The Russian nuclear energy agency Rosatom and the military shipbuilding company Sevmash signed on Sunday an agreement to produce six floating plants.

"But this is just the beginning. We may have orders from other countries in the Asia-Pacific region where such stations will desalinate sea water," Rosatom head Sergei Kiriyenko was quoted as saying.