04.04.2007 // The press service of the Federal Agency of Nuclear Energy

On Apr 10–13 the head of the Federal Agency of Nuclear Energy (Rosatom) Sergey Kiriyenko is to pay a working visit to Japan and Mongolia

On Apr 10–13 the head of the Federal Agency of Nuclear Energy (Rosatom) Sergey Kiriyenko is to pay a working visit to Japan and Mongolia

The Russian delegation will comprise the director general of Techsnabexport Vladimir Smirnov, the chairman of the board of VNIIAES Pyotr Schedrovitsky, the president of Atomstroyexport Sergey Shmatko, the director general of Atomenergomash Kirill Komarov, the director general of Ural Electrochemical Integrated Plant Anatoly Knutarev.

In Japan Kiriyenko is to visit the Aomori prefecture, where he is to meet with the chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission of Japan Shansuke Kondo, to speak at the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum and to negotiate with the managers of a number of Japanese nuclear companies.

On Apr 11 the Russian delegation is to go to Tokyo and to meet with Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan Akira Amari and the director of the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy Harufumi Mochizuki. The same day the Russian delegates will meet with representatives of the Japanese nuclear power industry. 

On Apr 12 Kiriyenko is to meet with Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso and Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Bunmei Ibuki. The key topic of the talks will be the development of a Russian-Japanese agreement on the peaceful use of nuclear energy — an agreement that will pave the way for direct contacts between Russian and Japanese nuclear companies.

The same day Kiriyenko will give a press-conference and will go to Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia).

On Apr 13 the Russian delegation is to meet with Mongolian President Nambaryn Enkhbayar, Prime Minister Miegombo Enkhbold and other government officials. The sides will consider possibilities of cooperation in the nuclear power sector.

About Russian-Japanese cooperation on the peaceful use of nuclear energy:

Presently, NPPs produce 30% of Japan’s electricity with full dependence on foreign energy resources. There are 55 operative nuclear power units in Japan.
 
According to the last report of the Institute of Energy Economics of Japan, nuclear power plants should become the key source of energy in that country. By 2030 their share in the total electricity production will increase to 40%. The total generating capacity of the Japanese NPPs will grow from 47.59 GW in 2005 to 62.86 GW in 2030. By 2020 Japan will launch 7 reactors and 3 more reactors by 2030. Only one reactor – the 1st unit of Tsuruga NPP (341 MW) – will be decommissioned during that period. The unit was built as early as 1970. Thus, Japan will become even bigger consumer of nuclear fuel cycle products and services.

The Japanese market is becoming increasingly important for the Russian nuclear power industry. In this light, a delegation of Techstanexport visited Japan last Oct to meet with local officials and businessmen and to consider possibilities of mutually beneficial cooperation in the nuclear energy sphere. The visit showed that there is a big potential for such cooperation. Both Russia and Japan are adherent to closed nuclear fuel cycle and are oriented towards the use of fast-breeder reactors. And this is a good basis for effective cooperation.

As one of the biggest supplier of uranium enrichment services, Russia is interested in long-term contracts with Japan. With its present industrial and technological capacities Russia could ensure 30% of Japan’s demand for uranium products. Japanese energy companies regard Russian uranium enrichment plants as reliable suppliers of high-quality products.

Despite this positive attitude, active cooperation remains a problem.

The lack of a large-scale Russian-Japanese inter-governmental agreement on the use of nuclear energy is a big obstacle to direct supplies of uranium products to Japan and to guaranteed use of nuclear materials. As a result, such contracts are made on a re-export basis through the agency of third countries (the United States, France, Great Britain).

In late 2006 the sides started drafting an inter-governmental agreement on large-scale cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy.