If this is the same tech I remember, Soviet Russia used them a lot for far-flung lighthouses that couldn't be easily refueled. Many of them are still out there, or have been stolen, vandalized, stripped of metal by unwitting thieves, spreading hazard all around. One was even found underwater.

edit: links:

http://bellona.no/bellona.org/english_import_area/internatio...

http://englishrussia.com/2009/01/06/abandoned-russian-polar-...