FACTBOX-Russia's civilian nuclear energy industry http://today.reuters.com/investing/financeArticle.aspx?type=mergersNews&storyID=2006-06-28T152318Z_01_L28848973_RTRIDST_0_RUSSIA-NUCLEAR-FACTBOX.XML
Wed Jun 28, 2006
June 28 (Reuters) - Russia will merge its civilian nuclear companies into one state company - along the lines of gas giant Gazprom - to help it compete on the world nuclear market, the country's nuclear chief said on Wednesday.
Here are some key facts about Russia's civilian nuclear power industry:
OVERVIEW
The Russian nuclear industry consists of about 200 enterprises employing more than 300,000 people and producing 16 percent of Russia's electricity requirements.
President Vladimir Putin has declared Russia plans to raise the share of nuclear energy to 25 percent of electricity production by 2030, which would involve building at least two reactors a year.
The world's first nuclear power plant to produce electricity was built in Russia in 1954.
NUCLEAR POWER STATIONS
Nuclear power generating company Rosenergoatom operates 31 reactors with generating capacity of 23,242 mega-watts (MW). Six more reactors with a total capacity of 4,675 MW are under construction and expected to start production by 2011.
Russia is expected to begin construction in 2007 of the world's first floating nuclear power station.
URANIUM/NUCLEAR FUEL
Russia has about 4 percent of the world uranium resources, most of it located in eastern Siberia. Nuclear fuel for power stations in the country is provided by TVEL Corporation, which is also a major global supplier. TVEL controls about 17 percent of the global nuclear fuel market for commercial reactors. Another state-run company, Tekhsnabexport (Tenex), meets 40 percent of the world demand for low-enriched uranium.
REACTOR EXPORTS
Atomstroiexport, a builder of nuclear reactors abroad, has constructed about 30 power stations and 10 research reactors, mostly in the former Soviet Union and eastern Europe.
The major projects under implementation now include construction of power units totalling 2,000 MW capacity each in India and China and the 1,000 MW Bushehr project in Iran.
Sources: Reuters; Rosatom (www.rosatom.ru)
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