Russian nuclear utility Rosenergoatom, a subsidiary of state nuclear corporation Rosatom, is aiming to increase the nuclear power share of electricity in Russia from 18.6% in 2015 to 21% in 2030, according to Rosenergoatom Director General Andrei Petrov. He told a nuclear safety conference (IRTC-2016) in Moscow on 25 May that Rosenergoatom plans to increase production by 73% by 2030 compared with 2015, producing more than 338 bn kWh of electricity a year. In 2015, Rosenergoatom's revenues were RUB263.7 bn ($4 bn) and production was 195.2 bn kWh. Rosenergoatom's revenues could triple by 2030, exceeding RUB790 bn, with revenues from new business expected to increase ten-fold, including a 42-fold increase in services for NPPs abroad.
According to Rosenergoatom first deputy general director Alexander Shutikov, Rosenergoatom's 10-year portfolio of 'export' orders will grow by 15-20% to about $600 m in 2016. He told the same conference that in 2015 Rosenergoatom's portfolio of foreign order exceeded $500 m. At present, Rosenergoatom's portfolio of foreign orders includes contracts for service life extension services for VVER reactors at NPPs, technical support of operation and maintenance of power units, and training of the personnel. Shutikov also said that Rosenergoatom's development strategy envisages further growth of foreign servicing contracts. "We have been challenged to ensure sixfold growth by 2030, which means to about $3bn," he noted.
He also said that Rosenergoatom is considering the introduction of a 24-month fuel cycle at new nuclear power units. To achieve this, the design of VVERs will need to be assessed to work out the feasibility of loading more fuel into a reactor than is currently required. Previously, VVER-1000 reactors operated for 12 months without refuelling and since 2008 have been converted to an 18-month fuel cycle. Currently all VVER-1000 units operate (pilot commercial or commercial operation) using the 18-month cycle while VVER-440 units still use the 12-month cycle. Moving to a 24-month cycle means uranium enrichment would need to be increased from 4-4.5% U-235 to 6-7% in the VVER-TOI design, he said.
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