The International Conference & Expo on Isotopes (ICI) is held once in three years by the World Council on Isotopes (WCI) in different world countries. The previous conference was held in Moscow in 2011 and was organized by ROSATOM. This year, the hosting party was the American Nuclear Society (ANS).

Traditionally, the event includes an exhibition and conference, which envelops a plenary session, featured sessions and poster sessions. The business program of the international conference is attended by more than 500 representatives of business, science and medicine from different countries, including representatives of the Korean Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI); the China Academy of Engineering Physics (CAEP); the Joint Research Center of the European Commission (JRC); the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST, USA); Brookhaven, Los Alamos and Argonne National Laboratories, as well as representatives of the leading universities of the USA and Europe. Isotope producers and suppliers, medical companies, research institutes, radiation protection and environmental monitoring entities display their products at the exhibition.

In its exhibition section ROSATOM displayed products and services of the Production Association Mayak and JSC Isotope. The PA Mayal is Russia’s key producer of radioactive target and fission isotopes. The company’s share is about 60% of the total isotopes produced in Russia. Annually, the PA Mayak produces several thousands of ionizing radiation sources, heat and light sources, as well as radiopharmaceuticals, which are widely used in industry and agriculture (radiation technologies, flaw detection, instrument engineering), medicine (radiation therapy and radiation diagnostics), and research.

The JSC Isotope operates in the markets of isotopic products, radiation machinery, medical equipment and general-purpose equipment. The company offers a broad array of radiopharmaceuticals and ionizing radiation sources of Russian designs, which are used for sterilization of foods and medical items, disinfection and clean-up of industrial drains as well as solid and liquid waste of different productions, and for radiation modification of properties of polymers and products made of them, gamma flaw detection etc. 

ROSATOM’s representatives took part in the congress as well. Alexander Vakulenko, the First Deputy CEO for Commerce at the JSC Isotope, delivered a paper on ROSATOM’s isotope production capabilities. Besides, during the conference representatives of the PA Mayak and the JSC Isotope held business meetings with the existing and potential partners. 

At the 19th Pacific Basin Nuclear Conference the Russian participants included representatives of the integrated company Atomenergoprom, which consolidates civilian assets of the Russian nuclear industry, the united company NIAEP-Atomstroyexport (NIAEP-ASE), Techsnabexport, which is ROSATOM’s foreign trade company selling front-end nuclear fuel cycle products in the global market, as well as the Fuel Company of ROSATOM TVEL. 

Their exposition familiarized visitors with the Russian nuclear technologies, projects of ROSATOM’s enterprises in Russia and foreign markets, as well as with innovative products of the public corporation, i.e. a mock-up of NPP with a VVER-1200 reactor and a mock-up of the floating NPP with the elements of augmented reality. These applications are accessible for mobile gadgets on iOS and Android and allow surfing through animated 3D mock-ups and familiarizing with their operation principles. Projects of ROSATOM’s uranium and fuel divisions, as well as projects of NIAEP-ASE in the field of design and construction of infrastructural facilities, including projects of radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel management, were also presented. The audience showed interest in construction of fast neutron reactors, in particular BN-800, in Russia. 

The exhibition and conference the Pacific Basin Nuclear Conference draws representatives of large international companies of the Pacific region, which cover the entire range of services in the field of construction of nuclear power plants and infrastructural facilities, manufacture of equipment and servicing in the nuclear industry. The exhibition participants also included representatives of the governmental bodies of the region and experts from sectoral research institutes.