The IX International Forum ATOMEXPO 2017 winded up on June 21 in Gostiny dvor (Moscow). This year its theme was “Nuclear Technologies: Safety, Ecology, Stability”.
Proven as one of the key events in the world’s nuclear industry, the Forum made several records this year. It renewed the record of attendees: 6,500 attendees from 65 world countries representing more than 650 companies registered to the event. Thirty three countries were represented by official governmental delegations.
The event participants discussed the place of nuclear generation in future carbon-free energy. It was noted that today to make a stable and safe energy mix, countries need to combine different clean generation sources. Most of plenary and some round-table speakers who dwell on the main theme of the Forum were equally of the opinion that the share of nuclear in the world’s energy mix would grow: NPPs have all chances to become a reliable source of baseline generation and, in this capacity, intrinsic part of carbon-free energy.
A feature of ATOMEXPO 2017 was an increased attention to green energy issues. At the plenary session First Deputy Head of Administration of the President of Russia and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of ROSATOM Sergey Kirienko reminded that the Paris Agreement (on climate) of 2015 supposed that the share of clean energy in the world’s energy mix should be increased from current 30% up to 80% over 30 years. “This is a large-scale task the world’s nuclear industry is facing,” Kirienko said. He stressed that while moving to green energy and creating carbon-free energy mix we should base ‘on chime of nuclear as a baseline, stable and clean source of generation and other renewables’.
Other plenary participants agreed that in foreseeable future there cannot be completion between nuclear power and power engineering based on renewables, i.e. wind, solar radiation and water flow. “All types of clean energy need development and support. The way the green energy develops now pose no anxiety, just otherwise, we consider that both nuclear power and renewables develop insufficiently. To speed up nuclear power development in the world, the large nuclear market players have to join their efforts and work together to raise demand for nuclear technologies,” ROSATOM’s head Alexei Likhachev said. This point was shared by other Forum’s guests. Daniel Verwaerde, General Administrator, Atomic Energie & Alternative Energies Commission, France, said, in particular that there was no need to seek for discrepancy between renewables and other energy sources, they can work in a bundle.
The record in signed agreements
A record number of agreements, over 50, were concluded at the Forum, both international and commercial. In particular, nine intergovernmental arrangements were signed. Agreements with Sudan, Ethiopia and Uganda may be named as examples. They were signed by Deputy Director General of ROSATOM Nikolai Spasskiy. They provide for joint work in the field of the peaceful use of atomic energy. Sudan and Ethiopia became two of four countries (others are Columbia and Shi Lanka) who first took part in ATOMEXPO. The agreements signed with the African countries create a good backlog for increasing ROSATOM’s presence in the Dark Continent where the need in new power generators is most topical at the moment.
Business arrangements made about 60% of the total. The first of them is undoubtfully the sales agreement with three Turkish companies (Cengiz Holding A.?., Kolin ?n?aat Turizm Sanayi ve Ticaret A. ?., Kalyon ?n?aat Sanayi ve Ticaret A.?.). It concerns selling 49% in the company who implements Akkuyu NPP construction project. It was signed on June 19; the contract price is withheld but it was named the world’s largest private investment in nuclear over last 17 years. As a result, the authorized capital would be formed sufficient for the project implementation. The signed agreement provides for attraction of necessary external financial resources and becomes the world’s first example of getting external investments in nuclear power project which runs under BOO (build-own-operate) arrangement.
Besides, it was agreed at the Forum that ROSATOM would use Lagerwey (the Netherlands) technology to produce wind turbines and invest in wind farms in Russia. The agreement with the Holland company confirms strong commitments of the parties, including on local content in production of 65%. Lagerwey’s Hub Morelis said, we offer innovative development, simple logistics of hardware and components to Russia and experience in producing wind energy.
According to ROSATOM’s project, in 2018–2022 in Russia wind farms would be created totaling to nearly 1 GW. The wind turbine components plant is planned to commission next year and first wing turbines would be put on line in Adygea commencing 2019.
Broad exhibition program
The Forum’s exhibition was attended by 100 companies of the world’s nuclear sector and allied industries. The Russian nuclear industry was represented by more than 40 companies of ROSATOM, including Rosenergoatom Concern JSC, Fuel Company of ROSATOM TVEL, JSC Atomenergomash, ASE Group of Companies, JSC Science & Innovations, Uranium Holding ARMZ and other. Also, leading foreign companies and organizations - China National Nuclear Corporation (China), NAK Kazatomprom (Kazakhstan), AREVA NP, Schneider Electric (both from France), Rolls-Royce (United Kingdom), L-3 MAPPS (Canada), TAIM WESER (Spain), Fortum (Finland) as well as companies from the Republic of Korea, Turkey, Slovakia, Italy and other countries – demonstrated high-tech solutions and products.
For information:
The International Forum ATOMEXPO is run by ROSATOM annually since 2009; the event operator is Atomexpo LLC. Over the past years the forum has become the largest international business and exhibition site where the current state of the nuclear industry is discussed and its future development trends are formed.
