Proper nutrition: Russia expands the geography of nuclear power plants

Russia remains the only country in the world with expertise in the entire nuclear energy chain, Vladimir Putin stressed at a meeting on August 20. And the Russian Federation is expanding its presence on the world stage. Rosatom has already agreed on the construction of 17 power units in six countries and is preparing a deal with 15 more — in the future, this will amount to about 50 new agreements. The geography of the power units will be expanded within the country: from the Urals to the Far East. It is planned to introduce about 30 GW of new nuclear power plant capacity, including small nuclear power plants.

International agreements in the field of nuclear energy

On August 20, Vladimir Putin held a videoconference meeting dedicated to the development of the key sector of the domestic fuel and energy complex — nuclear energy. This day marks the 81st anniversary of the establishment of the Russian nuclear industry. The Head of State warmly congratulated veterans and industry workers and stressed that from the very first steps of the domestic nuclear project, along with solving the tasks of state defense, the peaceful use of atomic energy in energy, transport and other areas was of fundamental importance.

— Today, the nuclear power industry with its powerful concentration of science, technology, advanced materials, production and construction solutions, and unique professionals is, without exaggeration, the pride of our country. Russia is probably the only country in the world [that] has competencies in the entire nuclear energy chain, and also adheres to traditionally high standards of safety and reliability of plants," Vladimir Putin said.

It is these fundamental competitive advantages that allow Russia to firmly maintain its position as the undisputed global leader in the international nuclear power plant market. Rosatom's export portfolio already includes 28 power units being built in various parts of the world.

At the meeting, Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev announced the rhythmic implementation of the state corporation's foreign projects, which include large, small and medium-capacity power units. In addition, the company is actively working to expand its presence on the global stage. According to Likhachev, the state corporation already has signed agreements on the construction of 17 more power units in six countries of the world, and is simultaneously negotiating with 15 countries, counting on about 50 new package agreements.

The role of nuclear generation within the country is no less significant — it stabilizes the operation of the entire domestic energy system. Today, nuclear power plants account for about 20% of the electricity generated in the Russian Federation. According to the industry's long-term plans, about 30 GW of new nuclear power plant capacity, including low-power, is planned to be commissioned in Russia.

Support for new technologies

A large-scale geographical expansion is becoming a strategic vector for the development of the industry. Modern nuclear power plants producing affordable and clean electricity will appear in the Urals, Siberia and the Far East, the president promised. Thus, it is planned to strengthen the infrastructure base for the long-term development of regions and territories, launch new energy-intensive industries, including deep processing of natural resources of the Arctic, Siberia and the Far East.

Today, Russia produces power units for nuclear power plants, nuclear icebreakers and submarines, remaining a recognized world leader in this field, experts recalled. Currently, the domestic industry is facing an ambitious task — to launch mass production of low-power nuclear power plants, both land-based and sea-based: This is a serious technological challenge, as it is necessary to carry out research, create new materials and introduce innovations with unconditional nuclear safety, Alexander Spiridonov, deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Industry and Trade, explained to Izvestia.

Affordable electricity will power the growing industries: electric transport, factory robots and automation. In addition, the growth of generation is necessary for the development of artificial intelligence tools and the construction of data storage and processing centers — the demand for electricity is huge here.

The President has identified five main tasks for this purpose. First, it is important to establish serial production of standard power units and load domestic plants. Secondly, to guarantee the fuel supply through exploration and development of new deposits. Thirdly, to develop closed-loop technologies in order to use fuel multiple times and stay ahead of global competitors. Fourth, to continue strong training of specialists, from scientists to workers. And finally, to provide the industry with reliable financing, taking into account the long payback periods of projects.

Seversky breakthrough

Russia's main technological trump card is the transition to fourth—generation nuclear energy. As Alexey Likhachev said at the meeting, only in our country fast neutron reactors are currently being operated in an industrial format, becoming part of a new two-component structure.

The transition to two—component nuclear power is not just about new reactors, but a fundamentally different economy of raw materials, Nikita Illeritsky, a leading researcher at the ISSA RAS and an expert on the fuel and energy complex, explained to Izvestia. According to him, traditional nuclear power plants burn less than 1% of uranium, and the rest goes to waste. Fast neutron reactors make it possible to recycle spent fuel and run it in a circle. As a result, what used to be considered garbage becomes free raw materials. The main benefit here is not in the short-term cheapness of a kilowatt, but in strategic security: the efficiency of using uranium will increase tenfold, and the country's accumulated reserves will last for centuries to come.

The flagship of the direction was the Breakthrough project, which is being implemented in Seversk, Tomsk Region, at the site of the Siberian Chemical Plant. According to Alexey Likhachev, the whole world is watching the construction site in Seversk today. This pilot demonstration complex is truly unique: it will generate energy at one site and process spent fuel on the spot for a new launch — without having to take it anywhere. Thus, the launch of the facility by 2030 will demonstrate the country's undisputed leadership, after which the technology is planned to be scaled up to industrial power complexes of gigawatt format.