Demand for nuclear power is growing again: Rosatom DG

A photo of Director General of Rosatom Alexey Likhachev. Photo: Courtesy

Demand for nuclear power is growing again, partly because nuclear technology is constantly being improved, Director General of Russia's state atomic energy corporation Rosatom Alexey Likhachev said today.

The issue was highlighted during the recently concluded United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 28) in Dubai, where Rosatom organised a series of events designed to demonstrate the role of nuclear energy and technology in solving the problem of global climate change.

"We are convinced that nuclear energy is an integral part of the low-carbon balance. Rosatom was one of the first nuclear companies to join the climate discussion and propose considering nuclear energy as an effective tool to combat climate change. The results of this year's climate conference show that our voices and the voices of other supporters of nuclear energy are being heard," said Alexey Likhachev.

During the summit, at the invitation of the World Nuclear Association, Rosatom joined the Net Zero Nuclear Industry Pledge, an international initiative that has already united more than 120 companies operating in 140 countries around the world, a press release says. 

The participants of the initiative agreed to maximise the contribution of existing nuclear power plants and accelerate the pace of development of new nuclear technologies to achieve the goal of at least a threefold increase in nuclear generation capacity by 2050, it added.

Rosatom organised the 'Day of Small Nuclear Power Plants, (SNPP Day) at COP28, where it presented the full range of its SNPP technology solutions for achieving climate goals and ensuring a low-carbon future. The panelists discussed how small-scale nuclear power could solve a wide range of regional and industrial development problems.

Andrey Nikipelov, Rosatom's deputy director general for Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Solutions, said, "Low power land-based and floating nuclear power plants are among the most promising areas of modern nuclear energy. And there is demand for them both in Russia and abroad, particularly in countries of the Global South."

On 8 December, Rosatom organised the Atom Day for Future Generations in the pavilion of the Russian Federation. 

Rosatom executives, Russian and foreign experts, and partners shared their vision about the role of nuclear technologies in ensuring energy transition in various countries.

"We are convinced that nuclear energy is a necessity for a sustainable and prosperous energy future for mankind. While Rosatom is developing renewable energy sources, wind power, and energy storage, we believe that nuclear energy will continue to play a central role in the green energy mix," commented Kirill Komarov, first deputy director general – director of Rosatom's Development and International Business Unit.

Yuri Olenin,  Rosatom's deputy director general for Science and Strategy in his speech at a panel discussion organised by the Russian Federation on December 10 noted how the modern high-tech and knowledge-intensive nuclear industry contributes to meeting Russia's carbon footprint reduction commitments, as well as the role of nuclear technologies in solving various issues of sustainable development.

In addition, Rosatom organised separate panel discussions on youth and gender agenda which were participated by representatives of 'Impact Team 2050'- the Youth Advisory Council to Rosatom's Director General.