Electromobility is a global trend. Rosatom is building an end-to-end technology chain, from extracting raw materials to manufacturing batteries and components for electric vehicles. Solutions in electromobility have generated significant interest in Uzbekistan. Rosatom’s key projects in this field were presented at the Innoprom. Central Asia international industrial exhibition in Tashkent.
Among the exhibits displayed was a core element of any electric car—a lithium-ion battery—and a prototype of a compact slow-charging station.
“Transport electrification is a global trend. Since 2023, annual sales of new electric vehicles have exceeded nine million units,” noted Vadim Titov, CEO of Rosatom International Network, in an interview with Uzbekistan’s National News Agency. “Uzbekistan is also active in developing this segment. Every time I visit the country, I notice more electric vehicles on the streets of Tashkent and other cities. For this reason, our charging stations, traction batteries, and integrated electric drive systems sparked considerable interest among exhibition visitors.”
Rosatom first approached the electric mobility market in 2019, “Rosatom’s initiatives cover nearly the entire production chain in this sector, from extracting raw materials and manufacturing key components of electric vehicles to building charging infrastructure and recycling used batteries. All of this accelerates the transition to electric transport,” said Alexander Bukhvalov, director of the electromobility business unit at TVEL (part of Rosatom).
Here is a closer look at each link in the chain.
Raw materials. In Russia, Rosatom’s mining division is developing a project to produce lithium compounds at the Kolmozerskoye lithium deposit in the Murmansk region. Internationally, Rosatom’s lithium operations are managed by Uranium One Group. In 2024, the company signed a contract with Bolivia’s state-owned Yacimientos de Litio Bolivianos (Bolivian Lithium Deposits). According to the contract, Rosatom will build a lithium carbonate plant at the Salar de Uyuni (Uyuni Salt Flat) in the Potosí department. Its projected capacity is 14,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate annually.
Batteries. Currently, Rosatom is building in Russia two gigafactories for the production of energy storage systems. They will supply batteries for 100,000 electric vehicles annually. These facilities will handle the full production cycle—from lithium-ion cells to final assembly of batteries. The first gigafactory, in the Kaliningrad region, will begin operations soon. “We expect pilot production to begin by the end of 2025, with the first mass-produced products coming off the line in 2026,” said Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev.
Also this year, Rosatom plans to launch a pilot production line for battery electrolytes with a capacity of three tonnes annually. “At the same time, we are starting the design work on a large-scale facility capable of producing 10,000 tonnes annually,” Mikhail Metelkin, CEO of Rusatom Chemistry, said in an interview with TASS News Agency. Additionally, Rosatom plans to produce cathodes for batteries.
Components. Apart from batteries, Rosatom produces other essential components of electric vehicles—for example, integrated electric drives. This solution combines an inverter, gearbox, and electric motor, all housed together and cooled by a shared system. Such electric drives, alongside domestically produced batteries, will be installed in the Russian-made Atom electric car. The first such vehicle has already driven through Moscow in support of Rosatom’s Icebreaker of Knowledge educational expedition.
Engineering and design. Rosatom is also involved in automotive engineering, design development, and composite body manufacturing. A concept car featuring a futuristic design was presented at the Atomexpo 2024 exhibition.
Charging infrastructure. Rosatom is expanding its nationwide network of EV charging stations, which now includes over 160 locations across many Russian regions. By 2030, the company plans to establish a network of more than 12,000 charging stations. Parallel efforts are underway to develop an alternative approach—an automated rapid battery swap system.
Rosatom works in close contact with its partners. It assists Russian government agencies in developing the regulatory framework and participates in urban projects to deploy a network of electric charging stations. It also explores partnership models with EV manufacturers to make electric vehicles more affordable. In addition, Rosatom promotes electric mobility among consumers and studies user experience in an effort to improve convenience.
There are examples of international cooperation as well. Rosatom supplies lithium-ion batteries to Belarusian manufacturers of long-range trolleybuses, which then join the public transport fleet of Saint Petersburg, providing comfortable rides for passengers in Russia’s northern capital.
Alexander Pavlyuk, Deputy CEO for Sales at RENERA—Rosatom’s energy storage integrator—emphasized Uzbekistan’s potential as a growing market in his speech at Innoprom. He noted that Rosatom was ready to jointly develop expertise with local partners.
Photo by: Rosatom State Corporation, TVEL JSC
