RUSSIA NOW – WELCOME TO THE NUCLEAR CLUB
Yuri Solozobov
Russia Now
Daily Telegraph
12:55PM BST 05 Oct 2009
UK
Power units of the Voronezh Nuclear Power Plant, which celebrated
its 45th anniversary this month According to estimates from the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), global reliance on nuclear
energy will double by 2030, with the number of nuclear power plants
(NPP) rising by 60pc. As President Dmitry Medvedev put it recently,
Russia could claim a quarter of the world’s "nuclear pie".
Why are so many countries focusing on nuclear energy? The answer
is simple: the world needs a cheap and reliable power source. The
pressure of high oil and gas prices, coupled with the need to cut
greenhouse gas emissions, have superseded fears over nuclear power.
Fast times ahead for atomic energy There are 10 nuclear power plants
(31 power-generating units) in Russia, and they generate 16pc of
the country’s total electricity supply. By 2015 there will be 40
power-generating units, providing a quarter of all electricity.
In China, NPPs produce 2.3pc of domestic output; in the US it’s 20pc,
and in France, 80pc. Over the next few years, China plans to construct
about 100 plants, while the US hopes to build twice as many.
The nuclear b oom has boosted uranium prices by more than 10 times over
the past five years, driving the cost of one power generating unit
to between $5-6bn. With things as they are, countries with uranium
reserves and nuclear technology will hold sway in the global power
industry for the next two to four decades.
Russia is a member of an elite nuclear club which offers huge future
benefits. First, few countries in the world know the secrets of
building state-of-the-art and reliable power plants. Second, few
countries possess uranium enrichment technology. And finally, the
countries producing fuel for nuclear power plants can be counted on
the fingers of one hand.
Russian companies are ready to provide the entire cycle of production,
from uranium mining to NPP construction. Today, Russia accounts
for 40pc of the world’s uranium enrichment facilities, 17pc of the
international fuel market, 28pc of NPP building capacity and 8pc of
uranium mining.
So far, Russia’s uranium needs are covered from Soviet-era stockpiles
of nuclear weapons, but what will happen next? To be on the safe
side, Moscow has decided to secure access to foreign uranium
reserves. Russia’s Rosatom Nuclear Energy State Corporation has
already signed uranium contracts with South Africa and Australia.
Another way is to deepen co-operation with uranium-rich nations
in the first place, for example Central Asian republics and
Mongolia. Neighbouring Kaza khstan has the world’s third largest
reserves of uranium, after the US and South Africa. Mongolia is next,
occupying fourth place, but its prospective reserves (1.3m tonnes)
could make it one of the world’s largest uranium suppliers.
Today, Russia has joint uranium mining projects with Kazakhstan,
Armenia and Namibia. Following Dmitry Medvedev’s visit to Ulan Bator
in the summer, Rosatom is also preparing to initiate production in
Mongolia. Rosatom experts possess the world’s most advanced uranium
mining technology.
Fifteen foreign companies have tried to start up uranium production
in Mongolia over the past 15 years, but were unable to plough the
country’s virgin nuclear soil.
Russia’s exploration and production technology now allows for the
development of deposits that were earlier deemed unrecoverable. With
these resources, Russia’s uranium reserves could be multiplied "at
least by a factor of three, or maybe five or even 10", according to
Rosatom chief Sergei Kiriyenko.
Those countries that co-operate with Rosatom in uranium production will
receive nuclear fuel supply guarantees for the next 60 years. Russia is
also ready to offer the unique services of the international uranium
enrichment centre in the Siberian city of Angarsk.
Fast neutron reactors will also be instrumental in solving the uranium
fuel problem. Conventional reactors can use only 5kg from a tonne
of uranium,=2 0while fast neutron reactors will be able to use up
to 700kg. "With fast reactors, our uranium reserves will last for a
millennium," estimates Nikolai Oshkanov, director of the Beloyarsk
nuclear power plant.
Russia and China are currently in talks to build a new fast reactor,
with a capacity of 800MW. According to estimates, Russia is 10-15
years ahead of the rest of the planet in this respect.
Russia also has something to offer in another prospective area:
floating nuclear power stations, based on nuclear shipbuilding
technology. The IAEA values the world market for such stations at
between $300bn and $600bn.
They are vital for remote regions, where power lines or organic fuel
supplies are inexpedient. Such floating stations could also be used
to desalinate sea water, for example, in the Persian Gulf countries
or on an ocean shelf.
RN Dossier
Russian nuclear reactors successfully operate in 10 countries, and
there are construction projects running in three others.
Another 17 nations, from Brazil and Egypt to Ukraine and the Czech
Republic, are in talks with Rosatom on new projects.
Russia is ready to build another four power generating units for
India’s Kudankulam nuclear power plant.
Rosatom also has certain interests in Turkey, Southeast Asia, North
Africa and Latin America.
Safety first: the lessons of Chernobyl
Russia has begun to use active and passive safe ty systems to make
atomic power stations more reliable.
According to RM Topchan, deputy director of the Atomic Energy Project
Institute, these include the use of a trap for liquefied nuclear fuel,
the installation of a defence mechanism for human error and triple
back-up equipment.
After the terrorist events of recent years, Russian atomic power
stations have significantly increased their physical defences. As a
result, and according to objective indices, Russia has a high level
of security.
In terms of the most important criteria, for instance, the number
of unplanned automatic stoppages at a reactor in the course of 7,000
hours of operation, Russia is on the same level as Germany and Japan
and significantly ahead (in terms of operational reliability) of the
United States and Japan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
