Pavel Alekseev, Director of Institute Nuclear Reactors of Kurchatov Institute

– Nuclear energy can ensure large-scale emission-free power generation sustainable development

Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation has drafted a program on nuclear technologies of new generation and hopes for its early adoption, Director General of Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation Sergey Kiriyenko said during a conference on nuclear energy problems held by Prime Minister of Russia Vladimir Putin at Kalinin Nuclear Power Plant on Apr 15 2009. “By 2015–2017 we are planning to enter the market with a new product. The program is based on the fast-breeder reactor technology. We are some 10 years ahead of our rivals in this field and we must not lose this advantage. The program has been coordinated and we are waiting for the final decision,” Kiriyenko said.

Energy sector is the basis of the Russian economy and guarantor of the social and political stability of our country. In order to ensure stable energy supplies (energy security), we must attain a balance among the key sources of energy: gas-masout, coal and nuclear energies must have 30% each in the total power production. This is one of the reasons why we must develop nuclear energy now. Besides, we must not forget that nuclear energy is ecologically safe and helps to solve the problem of CO2 emissions and that it costs less than the organic fuels.

Nuclear energy can ensure large-scale emission-free power generation sustainable development based on long-term resources and enjoying independence from natural uranium production. 

Development of complex system of innovative nuclear power engineering with almost limitless fuel resources and wide scope of use is essential for the growth of Russia’s fuel and energy complex.

For this purpose we should take the following measures: enlarge nuclear capacities on the basis of improved WWER technologies and transport reactors; create closed ecologically compatible nuclear fuel cycle with conversion of long-lived radioactive waste in neutron flow; introduce fast reactors and effective thermonuclear neutron sources with uranium-238 or thorium-232 breeders (these sources can solve the problem of fuel for nuclear power plants for a long-term prospects and will add the advantage of nuclear fusion to that of nuclear fission without surpassing the performance limits of either of the systems); enlarge the scope of use of nuclear energy by introducing nuclear capacities in the power-intensive fields of the industry and the public utilities sector (electricity, low- and high-grade heat, drinking water, engine fuel from coal, etc.).

For this purpose, we should carry out active research and development work for substantiating the new technological platform. Presently, we have a couple of promising projects in the field of peaceful use of nuclear energy. One of them is the construction of a fast-breeder reactor. The key advantage of this reactor is that it can use natural uranium-235. Uranium-238 and thorium-232 are sources of huge amount of cheap energy if used at innovative reactors. This is especially vital now that we are running increasingly short of energy while oil and gas production is getting increasingly expensive. Closed nuclear fuel cycle and fast-breeder reactors can solve this problem and can supply the whole energy sector with fuel. That’s why by 2025 we must increase their share in the system of nuclear energy production. Besides, we must improve WWER reactors so they consume less natural uranium and show higher fuel conversion rates.

If in the mid-term future we apply nuclear energy for conversion of coal into engine fuel or synthetic gas, we will be able to fully use our existing oil and gas infrastructure with less impacts on ecology and loads on the transport sector.

Thus, we have lots of new vital directions. There are lots of useful and promising things we can use in the field of nuclear power engineering. But in order to do it, we must carry out thorough research and development work. That’s why we must actively finance research & development projects and man them with highly-qualified young specialists.