Potential and innovative development prospects of Russia’s nuclear industry export

Abstract

There are considered the key milestones in the development of the Russian nuclear power: the fi rst studies of nuclear physics (the 1920s – 1930s); implementation of the «atomic project» (the 1940s); large-scale development of civil nuclear energy (the 1950s – 1980s); a crisis and restoration of nuclear industry (1990 – 2007); active development on the global nuclear energy market (2007 – present). Analysis is provided of the current state and development prospects in all the key segments of the nuclear industry in Russia: uranium mining, uranium conversion, uranium enrichment, nuclear fuel fabrication, construction of nuclear power plants (NPPs), nuclear power engineering, operation of NPPs and power production, maintenance of NPP power units, decommissioning of NPPs, handling radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel. Russia is identifi ed as one of the global leaders in all these segments of the world nuclear market (having, among other things, the world’s largest portfolio of NPP orders and the largest uranium enrichment capacities). The export potential for each of the nuclear industry segments under consideration is identifi ed and assessed. It is shown that the segments of NPP construction and manufacturing of nuclear power equipment production are of the largest export potential for Russia. At an early stage of the nuclear fuel cycle, the segment of enriched uranium product and nuclear fuel fabrication has the greatest prospects for growth in export supplies due to the growing number of NPP units of Russian design in the world and Russia’s entry to the market of fuel fabrication for reactors of foreign design.