News
15.07.2024
Fuel. Rosatom is making a pilot attempt to use nuclear fuel impregnated with minor actinides. The BN-800 fast neutron reactor installed at Beloyarsk Unit 4 was for the first time ever loaded with mixed uranium plutonium oxide fuel containing americium-241 and neptunium-237. These are minor actinides, the most radiotoxic and long-lived elements found in irradiated nuclear fuel. “Fast neutron reactors have an advantage of eliminating minor actinides, thus reducing the amount of radioactive waste from the entire nuclear fuel infrastructure,” says Ivan Sidorov, Director of the Beloyarsk NPP. According to research estimates, burning minor actinides makes it possible for nuclear waste to become equivalent to natural uranium in terms of radiation in just 300 years of isolation, or 2,300 times faster than usual.
Cooperation. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Atom Pavilion in Moscow. They were given a tour by Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev. The Russian President and the Indian Prime Minister visited interactive stands dedicated to the Russian-Indian cooperation in nuclear energy. Vladimir Putin and Narendra Modi were also demonstrated solutions for water desalination, quality-improving irradiation of seeds and foodstuffs, cargo transportation from India to Europe and Russia via the Northern Sea Route, and a model of a floating nuclear power plant. Rosatom successfully cooperates with India across many areas, the flagship project being the construction of six power units at India’s Kudankulam NPP.
Innoprom 2024. Rosatom took part in the Innoprom 2024 International Industrial Forum and Exhibition held in Yekaterinburg. Rosatom top managers spoke at the key events of the forum, having discussed the prospects for industry-specific digital platforms, international opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses as part of cooperation with large state-owned corporations, establishment of export-import partnerships, human resources as a foundation for large-scale industrial projects, specifics of Russia’s low-carbon market, and other essential topics. Several important documents were signed at the forum. In particular, Rosatom and the Government of Rostov Region signed an agreement to build a wind farm in the region.