Russian Nuclear Deals: News

About Tibet. It is as if people were crying for all the little sultans and maharajas which were wiped out once India was made independent. Just vestiges of feudalism whose regime necessarily will get wiped out in any modern state.

After the Russian vaccine, Hungary makes Europe angry with the "Russian nuclear power plant", by Sergey Savchuk for RIA Novosti. 12.07.2021.

The most important news of the past week in the energy sector can be called without any exaggeration the statement of the Hungarian Foreign Minister Petr Siyjarto, who announced that his country was going to complete the construction of the fifth and sixth power units at its only nuclear power plant, Paks.

It is noteworthy that it is almost impossible to find this news in the English-language segment of the media, all the major leading publications have taken water in their mouths. However, this is not surprising for a number of reasons.

Perhaps we need to start with the fact that Hungary, in a friendly family of European nations, acts as a constant boozer and troublemaker. Recently, Budapest, for example, legally banned LGBT propaganda among minors, which caused natural hysteria in Brussels , and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, directly threatened with sanctions if the Hungarians did not change their minds. The publication Politico , citing its own sources reported that the punishment for such a blatant intolerance The European Commission has frozen the application of Hungary for financial assistance in the amount of 7.2 billion euros.

Almost simultaneously with this, at the Innoprom international forum in Yekaterinburg, Petr Siyarto said that Hungary was launching industrial production of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine in the city of Debrecen , which the collective Europe not only stubbornly refuses to license, but also does not recognize those vaccinated by it vaccinated. At the same time, the head of the Hungarian government does not hide the fact that production will be carried out with a reserve, that is, the volumes of the produced vaccine will be such that they will not only meet the needs of their own population, but also allow the drug to be exported, because, we will quote the prime minister: "Sputnik V" is already it is used in 65 countries of the world and there is every reason to believe that the demand for it will be observed in the future".

Hungary, by the way, was the first country in Europe to buy an antikoid drug from Russia , causing terrible displeasure among European officials. The first batch of Sputnik arrived in Hungary in February.

But back to the question of the peaceful atom.

Budapest again greatly upset Brussels and its neighbors in the European communal flat by the fact that the choice of a contractor for the construction of two Paksha power units was held without any tender. Hungary delegated all the rights of the Russian corporation Rosatom by default , which is quite logical, given the history and the technical component, but will clearly cause strong discontent at least in the US embassy.

In the actions of the Hungarian authorities there is no secret intent or desire to pull the western lion's mustache once again. We are talking here exclusively about sober calculation and pragmatism.

The Paks NPP was built by Soviet specialists for Hungary, which was then part of the Warsaw bloc. Four VVER-440 reactors were put into commercial operation in the period from 1983 to 1987 and since then they have served the country with faith and truth. The "four hundred and forties", although they seem to be a kind of "atomic oldies" today, provide exactly half of the electricity production. That is, the station, in fact, is an enterprise of state importance, guaranteeing a bright and warm life for the Magyars.


Budapest has been striving for a long time to expand the production of nuclear electricity and it does so, by the way, in full compliance with the newfangled European requirements for decarbonization and the fight against global warming. If the share of uranium accounts for 49.3% of generation, then 8.5% is produced on the basis of coal , that is, it is impossible to take and simply close coal thermal power plants, the country is simply waiting for a collapse. Therefore, back in 2009, the parliament approved the construction of the fifth and sixth power units. It was expected that according to the requirements of the open market, a tender would be held, but the government handed over the project to Rosatom as the legal successor of the Soviet nuclear industry.

If the station were built, then Hungary would become the first completely "green" country in Europe to abandon hydrocarbon fuels in favor of safe and emission-free uranium. But the cooperation between Moscow and Budapest, as well as the plans of the latter to get out of the energy bondage and become an exporter of electricity in Europe, did not suit someone very much. The government of Austria, which supplies the Hungarians with Russian natural gas, has filed a lawsuit with the European Court of Justice to ban the construction. The litigation lasted several years and ended in victory for the Hungarians. It seemed a little more - and the long-suffering "Paks" will receive two new Russian reactors. But here in UkraineMaidan happened, Crimea became part of Russia as a result of the referendum, and Europe fell on us with a united sanctions front. Budapest had no choice but to adopt a collective policy and again postpone dreams of new power units. But the Hungarians, true to themselves and to their own pragmatic course, showed a certain stubbornness and perseverance here.

In 2016, at a meeting between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Viktor Orban , an interstate agreement was signed, within the framework of which Russia confirmed its readiness to complete the construction of Paks. The total cost of the project was estimated at 12 billion euros, ten of which Moscow was ready to provide in the form of a special loan. It should be noted that the Belarusian nuclear power plant in Ostrovets was later built exactly according to the same scheme. The signing of this agreement again caused a storm of indignation in Brussels and other Western capitals, and tons of criticism fell on Viktor Orban and Petr Siyarto because of their unwillingness to spoil relations with Russia to the detriment of their own national interests.

And now, on the calendar, mid-2021, and Hungary, in the voice of its prime minister, says that Rosatom will complete the construction of Paks no later than 2029.

The news, whatever one may say, is good from all sides. Russia is adding to its package of nuclear orders a facility in the very center of Europe, which needs not only to be built and commissioned, but also to be supplied with fuel for decades, and later disposed of. The money allocated by the government, with added Hungarian interest, goes straight to our nuclear industry, providing jobs and budgetary contributions. And the Magyars receive more than two gigawatts of generating capacity, completely cover their own needs and will be able to sell electricity outside, replenishing their own budget.

Everyone is happy, except for the European Union and Ukraine. Let us dwell on the latter separately in connection with today's topic.

The fact is that last month Hungary completed its part of the gas pipeline from the border with Serbia , thereby further lengthening the transport arm of the Turkish Stream . Now Russian gas will enter the Balkans and further into Europe from the south, although earlier, as we remember, gas supplies to Hungary went through the GTS of Ukraine. This was done for the reason that the Hungarians have no problems with the Serbs and Turks, but they have long-standing problems with Ukraine.

Budapest is pursuing a consistent policy, torpedoing any attempts by Kiev to integrate into the EU and NATO structures . This is due to the fact that Ukraine, according to Budapest, infringes upon the rights of national minorities, in particular the Magyars of Transcarpathia, by prohibiting them from teaching in their native language. In addition, Hungary has repeatedly found itself in the role of a victim, as happened, for example, during the last Russian-Ukrainian gas conflict in 2019. The gas gambit with the Turkish Stream ensures uninterrupted supplies of the much-needed energy resource and puts Kiev in a very vulnerable position and dependent on Hungary. Big politics is always a game on several levels at once.

However, a conversation on Russian-Hungarian relations and the practicality of Hungarian foreign policy would be incomplete without mentioning other projects.

Also last week it became known that the largest Hungarian oil company MOL Group, together with Tatneft , began construction of an industrial installation for the production of bitumen in Tatarstan . The project is being implemented on the basis of the Taneco oil complex and will allow not only producing bitumen, which is in demand in road construction, but also utilizing up to half a million car tires a year. Construction is estimated at 1.2 billion rubles, half of which was allocated by the Hungarian Export Support Agency (HEPA).

In general, while some are calling for isolation and pressure on Russia, others, much more pragmatic, are building bridges of cooperation to their own benefit.

https://ria.ru/20210712/vengriya-1740820536.html

Floating nuclear power plant for Baim mining zone in Chukotka could be built

https://rueconomics.ru/region/spb/533284-plavuchie-aes-dlya-energosnabzheniya-baimskoi-rudnoi-zony-postroyat-v-peterburge

Rosatom seems to have plans to build 4 of these power plants (article is very light on details)

So a new design with 4 RITM-200 reactors (brand spanking new) for 100MW

Lomonosov has 2 KLT-40 naval reactors for 70MW

Absolutely awesome, looks like Lomonosov was just a test bed for the real thing

Construction of a reactor complex of the Center for Nuclear Research and Technology starts in Bolivia in cooperation with Russia, 26.07.2021.

Among the applications of the project, which "has no analogues in the world", it is planned to produce drugs for cancer treatment and cardiovascular diseases, and improve the quality of food products, among others.

Russian state corporation Rosatom began on Monday the construction of a reactor complex of the Center for Nuclear Research and Technology in El Alto, Bolivia.

It is a unique project for the nuclear industry that "has no analogues in the world," according to Rosatom. The centre will be located at an altitude of more than 4,000 metres above sea level, the highest of all nuclear facilities built previously.

In addition, it is one of Russia's largest projects in Latin America and opens up new opportunities for the export of innovations of the Russian nuclear industry to the countries of this region.

The center will have advanced technologies that can significantly improve the standard of living of the population and will serve as an engine for the development of science and high technologies in the Latin American region.

The project aims to benefit the health, industry, science and technology sectors and its applications include:

- the production of radiopharmaceuticals for the treatment of cancer and cardiovascular diseases,

- processing agricultural products to ensure their food safety,

- sterilization of various medical products, including personal protective equipment,

- increasing the shelf life of food products and increasing the volume of production of agricultural products,

- growing high-yield cereals,

- research in the field of ecology and rational use of natural resources,

- the study of the properties of various materials,

- training of specialists in the nuclear industry.

It is planned that the construction will be carried out in four phases and that the first facilities will be able to operate this year. The construction of three complexes and an irradiation centre and its laboratories is planned.
Russia and Bolivia signed an agreement on cooperation in the peaceful use of atomic energy and the construction of a Nuclear Research and Technology Center in El Alto on March 6, 2016. The construction of this centre has been made possible in part thanks to the results of the last presidential elections in the country. President Luis Arce blamed the Government of Jeanine Añez for the setback in the development of several works.

In this regard, the legal representative of the Rosatom branch in Bolivia, Juan Vicente Bedolla, said that the project "represents and symbolizes friendship" between Russia and Bolivia and opens new possibilities for cooperation. According to Bedolla, this center " is unprecedented "and is"of vital importance for both Bolivia and Latin America."

Yandex Translate

https://actualidad.rt.com/actualidad/398911-arranca-bolivia-construccion-complejo-reactores-rosatom

US reactor developments moved:

https://www.russiadefence.net/t8605-us-civilian-nuclear-power-industry

Russian, Turkish leaders consider creation of two nuclear power plants in Turkey — Kremlin

Dmitry Peskov stated that during their meeting in Sochi, the presidents touched upon "the development of a virtually new branch of the economy" in Turkey.

MOSCOW, October 1. /TASS/. The Russian and Turkish presidents, Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, at a meeting in Sochi, addressed the possible construction of two more nuclear power plants (NPPs) in the republic with Russia’s assistance, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.

"Indeed, [this topic] has been discussed," the Kremlin spokesman noted.

Peskov stated that the leaders touched upon "the development of a virtually new branch of the economy" in Turkey. "The construction of new power units has been discussed [at the meeting]. [The leaders] mentioned some specific locations where Turkey would plan to build them," the spokesman went on to say.

Furthermore, Peskov said that the presidents addressed the possibility of continuing such cooperation.

The talks between Putin and Erdogan took place on Wednesday in Sochi, lasting about three hours. Among other things, the leaders discussed economics and international relations, while energy issues were also on the agenda.

https://tass.com/economy/1344729

ALAMO wrote:
Plus, there are not many options left, with both AREVA and Westinghouse dead or dying.

AREVA is dead, Framatome is pretty much alive. Especially that Rostom has been buying their reactor protection system. The last contract won 2020.

Kiko wrote:Russian, Turkish leaders consider creation of two nuclear power plants in Turkey — Kremlin

Dmitry Peskov stated that during their meeting in Sochi, the presidents touched upon "the development of a virtually new branch of the economy" in Turkey.

MOSCOW, October 1. /TASS/. The Russian and Turkish presidents, Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, at a meeting in Sochi, addressed the possible construction of two more nuclear power plants (NPPs) in the republic with Russia’s assistance, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday.

"Indeed, [this topic] has been discussed," the Kremlin spokesman noted.

Peskov stated that the leaders touched upon "the development of a virtually new branch of the economy" in Turkey. "The construction of new power units has been discussed [at the meeting]. [The leaders] mentioned some specific locations where Turkey would plan to build them," the spokesman went on to say.

Furthermore, Peskov said that the presidents addressed the possibility of continuing such cooperation.

The talks between Putin and Erdogan took place on Wednesday in Sochi, lasting about three hours. Among other things, the leaders discussed economics and international relations, while energy issues were also on the agenda.

https://tass.com/economy/1344729

Damn, that would be another $20B contract.

Rosatom and Hungary’s MVM signed a contract for the construction of new power units belonging to the Paks nuclear power plant in December 2014

https://tass.com/economy/1367975

On December 20, 2021, pour of the first safety releated concrete started on Kudankulam nuclear power plant unit-6 in India. The plant will be equipped with Russian built VVER-1000 V-412 nuclear reactors. From the six units at the site, two already in operation, unit-3 and 4 are in an advanced stage of construction and will be put in operation in March and November 2023.
With four power reactors simultaniously under construction, Kudankulam is currently the biggest NPP construction site in Asia.



https://tass.com/economy/1378813?fbclid=IwAR2QqcZGNPlLkv1_-C0pNL7vdvMiHInUVXvL_ZzGMqUNTAIEAiyGFGRKOt4

At the second power unit of the Belarusian nuclear power plant began loading of nuclear fuel

Russia Touts ‘Major Milestone’ for Nuclear Industry Achieved at Beloyarsk NPP, by Svetlana Ekimenko no for SputnikNews. 10.10.2022.

Rosatom announced in February 2021 that Beloyarsk NPP Unit 4 with a BN-800 fast reactor had been reconnected to the grid after its first uranium-plutonium refuel, adding that a full load of MOX fuel was expected in 2022.

Russia has achieved a breakthough "milestone," the Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation has announced.

The BN-800 fast reactor at unit 4 of Russia’s Beloyarsk NPP has for the first time been completely fueled with uranium-plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) after a scheduled overhaul, according to Rosatom’s fuel company TVEL.

“Full conversion of the BN-800 to MOX fuel is a long-anticipated milestone for the nuclear industry. For the first time in the history of Russian nuclear power, we proceed to operation of a fast neutron reactor with a full load of uranium-plutonium fuel and closed nuclear fuel cycle. Advanced technologies of fissile materials recycling and re-fabrication of nuclear fuel will make it possible to expand the resource feed-stock of the nuclear power, reprocess irradiated fuel instead of storing it, and to reduce the volumes of waste,” said Alexander Ugryumov, senior vice president for research and development at TVEL JSC.

Serial batch-production of MOX fuel originally began in late 2018 at the site of the Mining and Chemical Combine. The first serial MOX-FAs were loaded into the BN-800 core in January 2020. The first complete refueling of the BN-800 with MOX fuel took place in January 2021, and then, over the next two refuelings, all fuel assemblies were gradually replaced with innovative MOX assemblies.

MOX fuel pellets, unlike traditional nuclear fuel with enriched uranium, are based on a mix of nuclear fuel cycle derivatives, such as oxide of plutonium bred in commercial reactors, and oxide of depleted uranium which comes from de-fluorination of depleted uranium hexafluoride (UF6), the so-called secondary tailings of uranium enrichment facilities.

“Today, Beloyarsk NPP is one of the flagships bringing the Russian nuclear industry closer to a new technological platform based on a closed nuclear fuel cycle,” said Beloyarsk NPP Director Ivan Sidorov.

He added that use of MOX fuel will make it possible to increase the fuel base of the nuclear power industry tenfold.

"And most importantly, in the BN-800 reactor, after appropriate processing, used nuclear fuel from other NPPs can be recycled,” Sidorov stated.

https://sputniknews.com/20221010/russia-touts-major-milestone-for-nuclear-industry-achieved-at-beloyarsk-npp-1101690273.html

'We want not only Angra 3, but also Angra 4', says enbpar president on visit to Russia, by Ana Lívia Esteves for SputniknewsBrasil. 11.21.2022.

President of the new state nuclear power, Ney Zanella dos Santos, says Brazil wants more nuclear power plants and uranium mining along with private initiative. Stay up to date with the participation of the Brazilian delegation at the AtomExpo International Forum in the Russian city of Sochi.

This Monday (21), the AtomExpo International Forum began, which brings together the main representatives of the world nuclear industry at the Sirius Science and Art Park in the Russian city of Sochi.

During the plenary session of the event, the president of ENBPar, Ney Zanella dos Santos, said that the recent revision in the regulatory framework of Brazilian nuclear activities, which opened space to the private sector, will enable a faster expansion of the sector.

"The focus is to expand nuclear activities in Brazil, not only energy production, but also [uranium] mining," Ney Zanella dos Santos said during his speech. "We want not only Angra 3, but also Angra 4, and we are with a mining project in Santa Quitéria to, in partnership with the private sector, produce yellow cake uranium in northeastern Brazil."

Santos heads the new state-owned company ENBPar, responsible for the management of the nuclear energy and Itaipu sectors, which could not be privatized with Eletrobrás. The CEO said he did not believe that the change of government in Brazil could have a negative impact on projects to expand nuclear activity.

"Brazil's nuclear policy is a state policy. Governments change [...], but the focus of nuclear energy has never been changed, on the contrary, expanded", assured Santos. "Nuclear energy can help a lot in monitoring the environment, after all we have an entire Amazon to monitor and take care of."

Cooperation with Rosatom

In October 2022, ENBPar and the Russian state nuclear industry company Rosatom signed a memorandum of understanding to deepen cooperation in such areas as construction, operation and decommissioning of new high-capacity nuclear power plants based on Russian technologies in Brazil.

"The partnership with Rosatom came at a favorable time for the expansion of Brazilian activity, not least because our projects foresee an expansion of between 8GW and 10GW in the nuclear sector in the next 30 years," revealed Ney Zanella dos Santos during his speech at AtomExpo.

The AtomExpo 2022 Forum takes place between November 21 and 22 in Sochi, Russia, and brings together representatives from more than 50 countries, including Belarus, Brazil, China, Egypt, Hungary, India, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey and Vietnam. Held annually since 2009, the forum takes place for the first time since 2019, when it was interrupted for three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yandex Translate from Portuguese.

https://sputniknewsbrasil.com.br/20221121/queremos-nao-so-angra-3-mas-tambem-angra-4-diz-presidente-da-enbpar-em-visita-a-russia--26039553.html

The International Dispute Council denied Finland's claims to Rosatom, 12.25.2022.

The head of "Rosatom" Likhachev: the International Council denied Finland's claims to the corporation.

MOSCOW, December 26 - RIA Novosti. The International Dispute Resolution Board refused Finland to present financial claims to Rosatom in the situation with the Hanhikivi-1 nuclear power plant, the contract for the construction of which Helsinki terminated this year, said Alexei Likhachev, director general of the Russian nuclear state corporation.

In mid-December, the International Dispute Resolution Board confirmed the illegality of Fennovoima Oy's decision to terminate the contract with Russia for the construction of the Hanhikivi-1 nuclear power plant in Finland. This decision will allow the RAOS Project, which supplied the project, to claim damages.

"The customer terminated the contract, the first wave of litigation has already passed. And the international arbitration, consisting of representatives of only Western European countries , issued an unequivocal verdict. Firstly, the Finnish side was denied financial claims," ​​he said in an interview with the Izvestia newspaper ".

Likhachev also recalled that the termination of the contract was considered illegitimate. "This is the first and main decision that we have been waiting for," he added.

The head of Rosatom advised Finland to build a nuclear power plant at its own expense, calling the decision to terminate the contract with the Russian side political. "We cannot influence the outlook of the Finnish bosses. But let them (the project - ed.) implement it for their own money, and return ours. Here is such a simple approach to this issue," he added.

In early May, Fennovoima terminated the contract with Rosatom for the construction of Hanhikivi-1 on Finnish territory. The project involved the construction of a single-unit nuclear power plant based on a modern Russian-designed VVER-1200 generation 3+ reactor with a capacity of 1200 megawatts.

In June, the general director of Rosatom, Alexei Likhachev , said that the refusal of the Finnish government from the nuclear power plant project is legally "absolutely vulnerable", the state corporation has great chances to return the money spent in court. The business publication Kauppalehti later reported that Fennovoima was facing a lawsuit from Rosatom for an unpaid advance of 800 million euros.

The Russian Foreign Ministry called the decision of the Finnish side to stop cooperation with Rosatom politicised.

https://ria.ru/20221226/rosatom-1841264340.html

Rosatom's exports will exceed 10 billion dollars this year, 12.26.2022.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Russian nuclear energy corporation Rosatom plans to bill more than $10 billion in 2022 for the export of its products and services, according to the company's general director Alexey Likhachev.

"This year we are going to overcome an important barrier in exports, of 10 billion dollars," Likhachev told the Izvestia newspaper.

This represents an increase of almost 15 percent, he added.
For the executive, "it is not the limit, given the contracts that are already being implemented, the supply of fuel and enriched uranium products, conversion services and, of course, construction projects for 23 nuclear reactors in a dozen countries."

According to Likhachev, Rosatom's 10-year international orders "remain stable, at the level of $200 billion," despite the current geopolitical situation.

Rosatom submitted the necessary documents to participate in the tender for the construction of the first nuclear power plant in Saudi Arabia, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexandr Novak reported a couple of weeks ago.

In addition, in recent months, Russian President Vladimir Putin offered his Indonesian counterpart, Joko Widodo, to cooperate on a nuclear project in that country. According to Putin, the Russian energy company Rosatom has enough experience, competence and technological reliability to build a nuclear power plant in the nation.

Yandex Translate from Spanish

https://sputniknews.lat/20221226/exportaciones-de-rosatom-van-a-superar-este-ano-los-10000-millones-de-dolares-1133959637.html

Russian nuclear power exports booming, 02.17.2023.

Western countries are reluctant to sanction the industry as it would be economically painful.

Russian nuclear fuel and technology sales soared last year as imports by EU countries climbed to the highest in three years, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, citing data compiled by the UK’s Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).

Figures sourced from Russia’s customs records show that in 2022 exports of nuclear fuel and technology in the country’s strategic industry surged by over 20%, as the US and its allies shied away from imposing penalties on the nuclear sector.

The Russian nuclear industry, which has so far gone unsanctioned despite Kiev’s pleas, is essential for the operation of many power plants in Europe. Russia’s state nuclear firm Rosatom provides about one-fifth of the enriched uranium needed for the 92 reactors in the US. In Europe, utilities that generate power for 100 million people rely on the company.

According to the World Nuclear Industry Status Report, of the 53 reactors under construction globally as of mid-2022, 20 were being built by Rosatom, 17 of which are outside Russia.

The figures show NATO members including Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia continued to buy nuclear fuel from the sanctioned country last year. These nations are heavily reliant on nuclear know-how from Russia to run the power plants that produce up to half of the electricity they need.

"Nuclear energy projects have very long timelines, so it is difficult to draw any definitive conclusions,” a Research Analyst with RUSI's Proliferation and Nuclear Policy program, Darya Dolzikova, said. “But the data does point to a prioritization of markets that may be reticent to sanction Russian nuclear energy exports or entities,” she added.

Hungary, which is among the EU countries opposed to including nuclear fuel in the bloc’s sanctions, has four Russian-built nuclear reactors and is providing aid for another two, to be built by Rosatom. By the time construction is completed, the project will be one of Eastern Europe’s biggest foreign investments.

Earlier this month, the head of Rosatom Alexey Likhachev announced that the company is in talks with about 10 countries on new projects with three or four close to signing deals.

Russia currently supplies nuclear fuel to India, and is building two reactors there scheduled to open in 2025. Rosatom provided more than $375 million worth of fuel for a reactor in China last year, according to data. The country has also invested some 90% of the $13 billion project to build the first nuclear-power plant in Bangladesh.

https://www.rt.com/business/571513-russia-nuclear-exports-surge/

Russian Technology Could Replace German at Hungary's Paks-2 NPP - Szijjarto. 02.22.2023.

BUDAPEST (Sputnik) - Russian technologies could replace German ones at Hungary's Paks-2 Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) if the German government keeps blocking Siemens' participation in the construction project, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said.

Szijjarto earlier said German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and Economy Minister Robert Habeck from the Green Party, who do not issue permit to supply a process control system to Siemens, involved in the construction of new units, hinder the construction of the Paks-2 NPP.

Meanwhile, the French government issued a similar permit to Framatome company. According to Szijjarto, Budapest considers Germany's behavior unacceptable and illegal and regards it as a violation of Hungarian sovereignty.

“I would like to say that it is still a bit wild that the EU will build a nuclear power plant with control technologies from the two most powerful European countries, but at the moment the German government is at risk that they will need to be replaced with Russian technologies," Szijjarto told Hungarian journalists at a conference with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, broadcast on Facebook*.

"Is this a reasonable step by the German government?"

The Hungarian foreign minister said talks are under way with another member of the consortium, Framatome, to increase the company's role in the construction of new units of the Paks NPP.

“And the point now is not what Russian technologies are, because it is obvious that [Russian state nuclear corporation] Rosatom is one of the leading companies on the global market with one of the best nuclear technologies," he continued.

"But for what reason does the German government not want companies of the two most powerful European countries to supply control technologies to an NPP being built in the EU?" he asked rhetorically.

*Facebook, Instagram, and their parent company Meta are recognized as extremist and banned in the Russian Federation.

https://sputniknews.com/20230223/russian-technology-could-replace-german-at-hungarys-paks-2-npp---szijjarto-1107722654.html

Now it's official: Russia is the planet's uranium champion, by Sergey Savchuk for RIANOVOSTI. 03.02.2023.

The government of Kazakhstan approved the transfer of ownership interests in three uranium deposits located in the country, which were under the control of Uranium One Inc. holding.

We understand the bewilderment of the inexperienced reader.

The fact is that the mentioned Uranium One Inc. is part of the corporate structure of our " Rosatom " - however, this company is registered in Canada . Until relatively recently, such a scheme for the possession, production and subsequent enrichment of natural uranium to the state of reactor fuel was acceptable. The Russian corporation, through its Canadian representative office, owned shares in Kazakh uranium mines, which, from the point of view of international law, made it easy to fight off all accusations of trying to monopolize the market. In the realities of 2023, such trifles are no longer particularly relevant, and, in fact, Russia has finally established itself in the status of the world's main producer of fuel uranium.
In detail, Uranium One Inc. owned by two main shareholders - Uranium One Holding NV and the Russian division of Uranium One Group. On the territory of Kazakhstan, the holding company implemented five projects related to the extraction of fuel uranium, all of them were entrusted to the Dutch divisions.

By its yesterday's decision, the Cabinet of Ministers of Kazakhstan allowed:

— Uranium One Netherlands BV to alienate a 50 percent stake in Karatau in favor of Uranium One Group;

— Uranium One Utrecht BV to alienate a 30 percent stake in Khorasan-U JV (“Khorasan-U”) to Uranium One Group;

— Uranium One Rotterdam BV to alienate a 70 percent stake in the Southern Mining and Chemical Company JV in favor of Uranium One Group.

Yes, by and large there is an intra-corporate redistribution of assets, but this fully fits into the geopolitical course of Russia, based on scrupulous observance of all legal subtleties.

The concentration of assets in the hands of Rosatom indicates, firstly, the close cooperation between the two countries, and secondly, that the era of attempts at equal interaction with the legal and geopolitical Western systems has been finally buried. This is also evidenced by the presidential decree the day before yesterday, according to which any international treaties of the Council of Europe are terminated with respect to Russia . In the West, this is happily called "isolation", but in fact we are witnessing the ever-increasing sovereignty of our country, which has finally embarked on the course of a global player that ignores the barking of any dogs around the caravan that is gaining momentum.

But back to energy issues.

Against the backdrop of thundering Ukrainian events, Kazakhstan has been lost in the distant pages of publications, although it is our key partner and a real bridge to the south, to wide Asia . More recently, American publications have accused our country of Moscow (while the United States is backed by hundreds of military bases around the globe) conducting a super-successful hybrid offensive using nuclear power as a battering ram. Let's give the local journalists their due: for once they did not lie. Over the past year, Rosatom has increased its presence on the world stage by 20 percent at once, with the fuel sector providing a third.

While the Western alliance was discussing the price ceiling for Russian oil, Moscow made a detour and came from the open flank. Kazakhstan is the undisputed world leader in uranium mining. According to the results of 2022, 22.8 thousand tons of uranium, or 40 percent of the total world production, were mined in its mines using the underground leaching method. Let's add here another three thousand tons of domestic Russian production - and we will already get 45 percent of the market. If, however, Rosatom's projects in Tanzania and Namibia are added to the formula , then the numbers become depressing for the Western establishment.

Kazakhstan, of course, legalized the transfer of assets for a reason.

From the latest statements by the head of Rosatom, Alexei Likhachev , it became known that, in addition to the ongoing construction projects, Hungary , Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan are in line for Russian nuclear power plants . Sudan , Zimbabwe , South Africa , Saudi Arabia and Mali are close to direct agreements. Kazakhstan in this series is no exception. Astana has long been negotiating the construction of a nuclear power plant for four power units at once. It is known that after lengthy surveys and protests by local pro-American ecologists, the southern shore of Lake Balkhash was chosen as a site. Seismically calm and with a limitless water resource. In addition, the research reactor IVG.1M, which uses low-enriched uranium, has been operating here since Soviet times on the basis of the National Nuclear Center. As well as the Baikal-1 research complex, where two pulsed graphite reactors are operating.

The aspiration of Kazakhstan is not accidental at all.

The events of the year before last are still fresh in my memory, when, due to an accident on the main power lines of Kazakhstan, the energy systems of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan almost collapsed. Therefore, the authorities of the republic plan to place their first nuclear power plant in the central part of the country in order to cover the needs of two regions of the country that are actually isolated in terms of infrastructure (north and south), as well as to guarantee uninterrupted flows to the southern neighbors, which will be very pleasant to replenish the state treasury.

We won't say anything new. In today's world, there are two ways of development: one can be forced to be friends by placing other people's military bases on one's own land, or one can develop by buying nuclear technologies of the future. It remains to find the sovereign will in yourself and make an informed choice.

https://ria.ru/20230302/uran-1855221053.html

Rosatom company wins tender for lithium supply to Brazilian nuclear power plant, 03.13.2023.

The Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrates Plant (NZKhK), part of Rosatom's TVEL fuel company, has won the tender of the Brazilian company Eletronuclear to supply more than 100 kg of lithium-7 hydroxide. This was announced in a press release by NZKhK received by RBC media.

Lithium-7 will be used to cool the reactors of two power units at the Álvaro Alberto nuclear power plant (Angra) in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Deliveries are scheduled to be carried out before the end of 2023.

The lithium isotope lithium-7 is used in the reactor cooling system.

"The Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrate Plant has been specializing in the production of various lithium compounds for more than 60 years," said Mikhail Metyolkin, director of the Special Chemical business unit of TVEL.

The complex of the Almirante Álvaro Alberto Nuclear Power Plant is formed by the Angra 1, Angra 2 and now Angra 3 (under construction) nuclear power plants. In February, Eletronuclear disconnected Angra 2 from the interconnected system to perform cleaning in the cooling water system of the main electric generator of the plant.

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https://sputniknewsbrasil.com.br/20230313/empresa-da-rosatom-ganha-concurso-para-fornecimento-de-litio-a-usina-nuclear-brasileira-28028906.html

Egypt, Russia Discuss Nuclear Plant Construction, Suez Industrial Zone, by Roman Sanin for Sputniknews. 03.20.2023.

Diplomatic relations between Egypt and the Soviet Union were established back in 1943. Since then, as the successor of the USSR, Russia and the North African nation have been cooperating in various fields. However, now given the strained Moscow-West tensions, Egypt has to do a balancing act.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of Egypt met with high-ranking Russian officials to discuss joint projects in the North African country and food supplies, according to Cairo.

The gathering was dedicated to bilateral economic relations and took place within the general framework of the strategic partnership between Russia and Egypt, which provides various mechanisms for cooperation, including the Egyptian-Russian Joint Committee for Trade, Economic, Scientific, and Technical Cooperation, which is currently holding its 14th session in Cairo.

The Egyptian-Russian joint ventures, discussed during the talks, included the North African country’s first nuclear plant, El-Dabaa, which is being constructed by Russia's state-run energy corporation, Rosatom, and expected to be up and running by 2028-2029, in addition to a special zone in the east of Egypt’s Port Said, which will offer a simplified tax rate for Russian resident enterprises.

"The sides discussed the development of Russian investments and joint projects in Egypt in various spheres, in particular the construction of the El-Dabaa NPP, as well as the establishment of a Russian industrial area in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, which will pave the way for joint projects in the fields of manufacturing, production localization, and exports to the markets of numerous countries in various regions," the Egyptian Presidency said.

As noted by Spokesman for the Egyptian Presidency, Counselor Ahmed Fahmy, the two parties also emphasized their commitment to further bolstering bilateral relations in various areas.

Along with the Egyptian president, a number of senior officials were present during the dialouge, including Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Minister of International Cooperation Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Finance Mohammed Maait, and Minister of Trade and Industry Ahmed Samir.

From the Russian side, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov led the delegation from Moscow, joined by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov, and Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Cairo, Georgy Borisenko, among others.

During the course of the talks, Manturov said that he hoped Egypt and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) would soon ink the long-discussed free trade area (FTA) agreement.

"After all, we, as an EAEU country, which takes part in this process, provide all kinds of assistance and support on this matter. Negotiations have been ongoing since 2019. We are greatly looking forward to further spurring the process in the near future given the fact that the pandemic led to certain corrections. Now, [both] countries are interacting face-to-face more actively. I hope the process will be finished soon enough," Manturov said, answering a question on the free trade agreement between the EAEU and Egypt.

The Eurasian Economic Union is an international post-Soviet economic organization that in 2015 replaced the Eurasian Economic Community, and currently includes Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Moldavia has been an observer within the organization since May 2018. In 2020, observer status was granted to Cuba and Uzbekistan.

Moreover, earlier, Russian Ambassador to Egypt Georgiy Borisenko in an interview with Sputnik said Cairo unveiled its aspirations and submitted a request to join BRICS, an international economic forum currently uniting Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

https://sputniknews.com/20230320/egypt-russia-discuss-nuclear-plant-construction-suez-industrial-zone--1108588332.html