12 december 2011

Vladimir Putin meets with Rosatom State Corporation Head Sergei Kiriyenko after visiting the Kalinin nuclear power plant

Mr Putin and Mr Kiriyenko discussed the development of nuclear power, and particularly uranium production and the nuclear icebreaker fleet. They focused on social issues at Rosatom and on personnel questions.

In 2011, Rosatom State Corporation is expected to have revenues of 493.3 billion roubles (498 billion roubles in 2010), pre-tax profit – 144.7 billion roubles. The revenue from foreign operations (not including the Russian-US agreement concerning the disposition of highly enriched uranium extracted from nuclear weapons, or the HEU-LEU agreement[1]) will make up $4.47 billion roubles. The nuclear power station will produce 171.9 billion kWh (170.1 billion kWh in 2010).

In 2011, Rosatom will produce 7,023 tonnes of uranium (5,173.4 tonnes in 2010). The growth in uranium production is due to Atomredmetzoloto's purchase of Uranium One, a Canadian company. Currently Rosatom is second in the world in uranium resources including 20% of the uranium resources in the US. The uranium resources owned by Rosatom can provide enough uranium for all operating and planned nuclear stations for the next 100 years.

Rosatom's portfolio of foreign projects over the next ten years (from 2012 through 2021), excluding the HEU-LEU agreement, is valued at $50.8 billion. To date, it has contracts for 21 new power generating units (in 2010, there were contracts for 12 new power generating units). Rosatom has signed contracts with Belarus, Vietnam, Bangladesh and China.

In 2011, Rosatom concluded the construction of several large facilities in the nuclear power industry. In Russia, it constructed the Kalinin station's generating unit No. 4. In Iran, it commissioned the Bushehr station and linked it to the power system. In China, it launched the fourth stage of a gas centrifuge uranium-enrichment plant nine months ahead of schedule. Currently the capacity of enrichment facilities built in China with Russian technical assistance is 1.5 million Separative Work Units (SWU). In addition, in China, the first Chinese Experimental Fast Reactor (CEFR) with a primary sodium and heat capacity of 65 megawatts (25 electric megawatts) was commissioned. So China has become the fourth nation, following Russia, France and Japan, to possess fast reactor technology.

Rosenergoatom completed the construction of the Kadankulam nuclear power station's generating unit No. 1, completed 93% of the construction of generating unit No. 2, in India. The station meets all post-Fukushima safety requirements. The station's passive security systems will ensure complete safety in case of a breakdown in the absence of water, electrical power or personnel.
The HEU-LEU agreement of 1993 is an international initiative in real disarmament: it provides for irreversible conversion of Russian weapon-grade uranium into fuel for US NPPs.