Viktor Mikhaylov, director of Rosatom Strategic Stability Institute, research manager of VNIIEF

– Agreement with Toshiba paves the way for a qualitative technological breakthrough

The Japanese are actively and progressively working in the nuclear sector and our cooperation with them can only be welcomed. The agreement with Toshiba is opening serious prospects for implementation of mutually beneficial joint projects.

Today, Russia is regaining its leadership in the nuclear sector. We are the only country building and successfully launching nuclear reactors abroad. The agreement with Toshiba implies not only strengthening of positions in traditional sectors but also a qualitative technological breakthrough.  

I think that the agreement will put an end to Ukraine’s strange attempts to reduce the Russian fuel supplies for its nuclear power plants by making contracts with Westinghouse (to remind, Toshiba owns a 63% stake in that company). Now, there are two arguments in favor of Russian fuel. First, American fuel is not very good for Russian reactors (and the last incident at Temelin NPP — leak of American fuel assemblies — has proved that) and, second, from now on, when contacting with Russian TVEL and American Westinghouse, the Ukrainians will, in fact, contact with one and the same consortium.