Rosatom to Continue Nuclear Fuel Localization in China, CEO Says
Rosatom will continue localizing nuclear fuel fabrication technologies in China, aligning with the country's growing reactor needs, CEO Alexey Likhachev said in Beijing, as reported by TASS.
"We will continue localizing fuel fabrication technologies here [in China] in accordance with the growth in reactor demand," Likhachev told reporters.
He also recalled that Rosatom is currently supplying equipment and software codes for China's CFR-600 fast sodium-cooled reactor and is preparing for its joint operation.
According to Likhachev, Russia and China, as leaders in nuclear power development, think a century ahead. "'A century' is not a figure of speech here - it means the need to ensure that a power plant has fuel for more than a hundred years of operation, both natural uranium and the most advanced technological solutions for efficient and safe fuel," he said. He added that Rosatom is introducing advanced technologies in China, including fuel with an 18-month cycle.
In a separate statement, Likhachev said Rosatom will begin supplying China with advanced nuclear fuel for VVER-1200 reactors and fast neutron reactors in 2026.
Zaporozhye NPP Staff Deaths and IAEA Response
Likhachev also addressed the deaths of the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant's chief engineer and a driver, who were killed in a Ukrainian strike. He said both have been nominated for state awards, and "we are awaiting the president's decision, and I am confident our proposals will be supported."
He criticized the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for its response to the incident. "The IAEA responded to this incident [the deaths of the chief engineer and the driver] by saying that attacks on personnel are unacceptable," Likhachev said. "But once again, these were only general assessments. Unfortunately, there was once again no direct criticism or identification of those responsible for this atrocity."
Likhachev said Rosatom will continue to raise these issues with the IAEA and inform its partners and "all of humanity," describing the hostility and "deliberate inhumanity" of attacks on Energodar as escalating.
He also noted that the Zaporozhye NPP is currently in a risk zone regarding power supply, but all its systems and radiation levels remain in the "green zone," as confirmed by IAEA mission members working at the site.
Russia-China Nuclear Cooperation
Likhachev described Russia-China cooperation in peaceful nuclear energy as "deep, strategic, and exemplary both in form and substance."
He also mentioned plans to double cargo transportation along the Northern Sea Route by 2030, a joint effort between Russia and China.