Rosatom State Corporation held the Small Modular Reactors Day (SMR Day) on the sidelines of the COP28 Climate Conference, presenting a full range of technological solutions to achieve climate goals and ensure a low-carbon future. For the first time, the SMR Day was held with the support of Rosatom at EXPO-2020.
“We are convinced that nuclear energy will inevitably become the foundation of the low-carbon balance we all strive for. Low-capacity nuclear power generation, as one of the reliable technological solutions, will occupy a worthy place in the future of nuclear energy. I am confident that Rosatom’s proposals in the field of small modular reactors will become an effective and environmentally friendly choice for those countries that, for various reasons, have not considered nuclear generation before,” noted Alexey Likhachev, Director General of Rosatom, in a video address to guests and participants of the SMR Day.
Given specific characteristics and diversity of Africa, the existence of remote and isolated areas, SMR-based solutions, including floating and land-based plants with a capacity of up to 300 MW seem suitable for the continent. SMRs have the same competitive advantages as traditional large nuclear solutions: minimal CO2 emissions, predictable electricity prices, suitability for any weather conditions, and multi-purpose use.
“Energy poverty is reality in Africa as a whole. In South Africa it’s even worse because of the load shedding that we are experiencing and advanced level of stages that we’re looking at. It is applicable to South Africa. It is also applicable to other African countries that have legislative and regulatory frameworks that are readily available for us to explore”, Rob Shongwe, CEO Sadock Austal Energy in South Africa said.
The event opened with a colourful multimedia show demonstrating the importance of preserving harmony between humans and nature in Yakutia, where Rosatom has started the implementation of a unique low-capacity nuclear power plant project. The power plant, designed to boost the region’s development, is being constructed with careful consideration for the fragile Arctic ecosystem. The commissioning of the land-based SMR in Yakutia is planned for 2028. In addition to the presented project, Rosatom’s portfolio also includes the world’s only floating nuclear power plant (FNPP), the “Akademik Lomonosov”.
Since its commercial operation began at the end of 2019, the FNPP has generated over 700 million kilowatt-hours of electricity for Pevek, the northernmost city in Russia. Based on this experience, work is underway on the next-generation floating power unit technology based on the RITM-200 reactors. It is planned that by 2029, they will start supplying power for the development of the Baimskaya ore zone in Chukotka. Rosatom is also implementing the “Shelf-M” microreactors project with a capacity of up to 10 MW. The first plant based on this technology is expected to be operational by 2030.
“There are more than 70 small modular reactor projects in the world in the design stage. Rosatom is the only technology company that has moved from words to action. Today, by implementing our projects for Yakutia and Chukotka, we set ourselves the task of demonstrating the economic efficiency and reliability of SMRs,” said Kirill Komarov, First Deputy Director General for Development and International Business of Rosatom.
“Creating a referent project in the Russian Far East will open up a huge market for this technology, just as the reference of Russian NPPs based on VVER-1200 Gen III+ reactors showed the world that nuclear energy is a safe solution to the issue of climate change. We are confident that the experience gained in the coming years will allow us to offer our partners around the world the best solutions in the field of SMRs,” added Komarov
Speakers at the SMR Day panel discussion also included the Director General of the World Nuclear Association, Sama Bilbao y Leon, and high-ranking representatives of relevant ministries and energy companies from different countries. Participants in the discussion talked about how SMRs can address a wide range of national development tasks.
“SMRs are very timely in terms of expansion and visage in the nuclear technology, especially in the period that we are doing energy transition. For the newcomer countries and developing countries, building SMRs is a good option. They bring energy security and drive away energy poverty. We cannot achieve the energy transition by half-century without tripling the installed capacity of nuclear. That means that we need to put nuclear power everywhere”, Robert Sogbadji, Director of Renewable and Nuclear Energy at Ghana’s Ministry of Energy said.
The UN Climate Change Conference is the largest forum focusing on climate issues and serves as the highest body for the negotiation process to implement the provisions of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Kyoto Protocol (KP), and the Paris Agreement (PA).
Rosatom State Corporation has been operating in line with the principles of sustainable development for many years. Sustainable development principles are incorporated into Rosatom’s long-term strategy.
In 2020, the Unified Industry Policy on Sustainable Development was adopted. In the same year, Rosatom joined the UN Global Compact, the largest international initiative for business in the field of corporate social responsibility and sustainable development. Rosatom is the largest producer of low-carbon electricity in Russia, accounting for about 20% of the country’s total electricity production.
