Rosatom expects European companies to take part in its overseas projects. Building an international chain of suppliers is a priority of Rosatom’s global strategy, said Kirill Komarov, Rosatom Deputy CEO for Corporate Development and International Business, at the opening of the nuclear industry supplier forum ATOMEX Europe.
“The forum has become a tradition that definitely improves and expands mutual cooperation between Russian and European nuclear companies. I am pleased to note that every year brings Rosatom more and more partners,” he said. Komarov reminded that the Russian nuclear corporation works closely with European companies across the entire life cycle of nuclear facilities, with the scope of cooperation ranging from uranium and fuel supplies to decommissioning services.
For example, Rosatom manufactures fuel assemblies for Western-designed reactors in association with Areva and supplies them to nuclear stations in Germany, Switzerland, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Another example is the Russian nuclear station operator Rosenergoatom working with EDF on preparing Kozloduy Units 5 and 6 for the life extension. Joint production of electric equipment is being organized by Schneider Electric and one of Rosatom’s subsidiaries.
Czech experts are involved in the construction of Hanhikivi-1 (Finland), which will operate a Russian-designed VVER-1200 nuclear reactor. Assessment of the project and its safety systems is done by UJV Rez, also from the Czech Republic.
Moreover, Czech EGP-Invest has designed a turbine island for MBIR, a multi-purpose fast breeder reactor, now under construction in Dimitrovgrad (Ulyanovsk Region), which will be the most powerful research reactor in the world after it is put into operation. “There are much more examples to be cited,” Komarov said.
According to him, Rosatom is now a global leader in terms of nuclear reactors currently under construction abroad. “We carry out a total of 43 reactor construction projects, all at a different phase, 9 units in Russia and 34 units abroad, including Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia,” he added.
The total portfolio of reactor construction contracts alone exceeds 300 billion US dollars. “Nearly the same amount can be received from services across the entire nuclear station life cycle. According to modest estimates, such contracts might involve tens of thousands of people for dozens of years. Of course, we are interested in foreign suppliers,” he said.
Komarov noted that foreign suppliers were admitted to Rosatom’s online tenders earlier this year. “Most procurement procedures are now organized in the form of open and competitive tenders in our electronic procurement system. Our suppliers include over 24,000 Russian and foreign companies. For just five years, this number has grown 24 times from just a thousand suppliers in 2010,” Komarov added.
“Our projects offer a perfect opportunity for European suppliers to apply their technologies. Foreign and local involvement in Rosatom’s overseas projects and an international chain of suppliers are global strategic priorities of the nuclear corporation,” he concluded.
