Russia held its Ninth AtomExpo International Forum in Moscow this week. The annual nuclear trade show is billed as the “largest exhibition venue for meetings and negotiations between world leaders of the nuclear power sector. The Forum has traditionally included an exhibition of leading Russian and international companies of the nuclear power sector and an extensive business program with participation of corporation executives, top managers of international companies and international-level experts. The goal of the Forum is to promote international cooperation between the Russian Federation and the countries of Latin America, Pacific Asia, Africa, Central and Eastern Europe in the field of nuclear power, and to discuss Russia’s proposal on developing national energy programs.” (Event website)
Rosatom, the Russian owned nuclear company always announces the signing of a lot of agreements at these events. Often, large sums of money are mentioned in conjunctions with the signings but the actual documents are usually Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which express the intent to work together on nuclear energy projects and are not real contracts. This year such MoUs were announced with Ethiopia, Sudan and Uganda.
TVEL, Rosatom’s nuclear fuel subsidiary, signed a contract for thirty million dollars with the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran to supply a batch of nuclear fuel for the new Bushehr nuclear power plant.
Rosatom and the Nuclear Energy Agency of the European Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development signed an agreement for the translation of NEA documents into Russian. This will allow Russian nuclear agencies and companies to access reference and analytical documents from the NEA.
Rosatom signed a MoU with the Areva, the French owned utility company, to cooperate in fuel fabrication, automated process control systems, as well as maintenance of equipment and machinery for nuclear power plants.
Rosatom signed a MoU with Hungary’s MVM Ltd to improve cooperation in the maintenance, service and fuel supply of the Paks nuclear power plant in Hungary. The MoU also said that the two companies wanted to cooperate in developing nuclear power plants in Russia and other countries.
Rusatom Service signed a two year contract with MVM Paks nuclear power plant for technical support and scheduled maintenance on the main circulating pumps at the plant.
Rusatom International Network and Kazakhstan’s Antares Group signed a MoU for the companies to cooperate on the use of nuclear power in the medical and agricultural sectors, as well as cooperation in the supply of isotope products to Kazakhstan.
Rusatom International Network signed a MoU with the International Investment Bank to implement Rosatom’s projects in nuclear medicine, radiation technology applications, and the construction and maintenance of nuclear power plants. The two entities are interested in creating bilateral cooperation in Bulgaria, Hungary, Vietnam, Cuba, Mongolia, Russia, Romania, the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic.
ASE group signed a MoU with SAP, the software developer, to cooperating in the creation of software for the management of the life-cycle of nuclear power plants. The intent is to create a “Competence Centre for Automation of Engineering Activities.” The project will bring data technologies such as Big Data analytics to the construction of nuclear power plants.
