Page 10 - AsiaElec Week 50 2022

AsiaElec NUCLEAR AsiaElec

Rosatom’s Saudi bid next step

for Russian nuclear tech

ASIA ROSATOM aims to build the first nuclear reac- the share of nuclear energy in Russia’s total
tor in Saudi Arabia as part of the company’s energy balance to 25% by 2040, up from 20%
global drive to break into emerging markets for today, by developing a new generation of smaller
atomic energy. reactor technology that is mobile and can be
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander installed on ships and barges.
Novak said that Rosatom had submitted a bid “As of today, the share of nuclear generation
to the Saudi authorities on December 13, saying in Russia stands at around 20%, whereas in the
that he hoped the countries would work closely European part [of the country] it is almost 40%,
together on building a nuclear power plant this being the largest source of clean energy
(NPP) and also on using nuclear technologies nationwide. Russia intends to boost the share of
for peaceful purposes. nuclear energy in the country’s total energy bal-
“The documents have been handed in for the ance to 25% by 2040,” he said, writing in Energy
tender on the NPP’s construction in Saudi Ara- Policy magazine, Tass reported.
bia,” Novak said, Tass reported. Russia also aims to take a 20% of the global
Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev said at the small-scale nuclear reactor market by 2030, he
end of 2021 that Rosatom, which unites a num- said.
ber or Russian state-owned nuclear companies, In 2021, the construction of the lead coolant
would take part in Saudi Arabia’s nuclear tender, BREST-OD-300 fast reactor was started as part
explaining that Saudi Arabia was an important of the “Breakthrough” project, which aims to
partner for Moscow. develop reactor technology that can re-use spent
Nuclear is a major tool of Kremlin industrial nuclear fuel again and again.
power, and Rosatom is already building nuclear Such reactors, of up to 50 MW, are suitable for
reactors in Egypt and Jordan in the Middle East, use in remote regions that do not have access to
while it is also constructing NPPs in India, Bang- power networks. Small reactors are often housed
ladesh and China. on repurposed ships that can be sailed to loca-
The Kremlin has recently insisted that EU tions on the northern Arctic coast.
sanctions against Russia have not affected Rus- “This will allow spent fuel to be re-used an
sia’s global nuclear operations in any way. infinite number of times, solving the issue of
Rosatom said that such restrictions would not costly spent nuclear fuel storage. By 2030, Rus-
pose a problem for the financing of the Akkuyu sia’s share of the global market for low-power
NPP in Turkey, which the Russians are financing nuclear plants is expected to reach 20%,” Novak
and building. explained.
“The plant is being built on a build-own-op- Russia is one of the leading global developers
erate model and that Russia is solely responsible of such low-power reactors, he noted.
for project financing,” said Kirill Komarov, the Russian projects include the RITM-200 mod-
first deputy director-general of Rosatom, adding ular reactor being developed in Yakutia for the
that it is fully funded for the next few years. exploration of the Kyuchus gold deposit. In addi-
Likhachev said recently that a new emerg- tion, an agreement has been reached to construct
ing markets nuclear club was staring to appear, four floating power units for the development of
with Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyr- the Baim ore zone in Chukotka.
gyzstan, Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia all seek- “This is the first electrification project of an
ing to expand. industrial cluster in the world using floating
Rosatom has 23 orders for reactors in eight nuclear power plants. A new extra mobile and
countries and intergovernmental agreements on universal microreactor Shelf-M is being devel-
34 more. oped,” Novak added.™
Novak also said that Moscow aimed to boost

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