Dmitry Baranov, senior expert of Finam Management

– Rosatom is focused on work in Russia but does not forget about international markets

In 2009 the Government of Russia will allocate almost $4.5bln for the support of the national nuclear industry, Vice Premier of Russia-Head of the Staff of the Government of Russia Sergey Sobyanin said during Atomexpo forum. He said that nuclear energy was one of the key priorities of the Russia-Europe cooperation. Director General of Rosatom Sergey Kiriyenko said that despite its focus on national equipment Rosatom was open for international partnership and was ready to take part in international projects on parity basis. Rosatom supposes that the demand for electricity will be restored in no earlier than two years and, therefore, is revising its NPP construction plans: now, we are planning to start building two reactors a year in 2014–2015.

It is very important that Rosatom is one of the first big state corporations in Russia to have followed the government’s suit, i.e. to have decided to support the national industry. Rosatom’s plans to order equipment at national enterprises will help the latter to easier overcome the crisis, not to reduce their staffs, to preserve their intellectual and technological capacities and to modernize their productions.

Rosatom is showing reasonable prudence in spending state funds by revising the deadlines of NPP construction projects. It is not a secret that the energy consumption in the country is declining because of the crisis. However, in regions needing new reactors in time and even earlier Rosatom is ready to speed up its efforts just like it is doing with Volgodonsk Nuclear Power Plant. Such a flexible approach serves the interests of the state and characterizes Rosatom as a normal market-oriented structure.

Though focused on the work in Russia, Rosatom does not forget about international markets. The growing foreign interest in our nuclear technologies proves that Rosatom’s strategy on the international market is quite successful. In cooperation with Siemens Rosatom will be able to offer its clients a unique production combining the best national technologies with high-end German solutions.

Today, Rosatom is undergoing a unique transformation: from an ordinary contractor it is turning into an investor. The company will finance the construction of NPPS in Turkey and Belarus and will attract a co-investor for the Baltic NPP project. Such changes are supposed to convince all those in doubt that Rosatom is not just a state corporation but an independent player able to compete on any markets in any aspects of nuclear power engineering.

Those who think that by financing NPP construction projects abroad Rosatom is wasting money are mistaken. Such financing means long-term presence in the country hosting the financed project. It means that Rosatom will not only build, but will commission, maintain, supply fuel, dispose of waste and do many other things on that market – and, most importantly, will earn money for domestic needs. By such activities we are earning reputation and are demonstrating our efficiency to foreign partners. That is, Rosatom is using foreign sites for expanding into new markets.