OREANDA-NEWS. The State Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOM held on June 7, seminar on its global expertise in the development and application of nuclear technologies.

At the event were executives from ROSATOM and large Brazilian companies and representatives of the Ministries of Mines and Energy, Science and Technology of Brazil. The president of Electronuclear, Othon Luiz Pinheiro, and president of the Association for the Development of Nuclear Activities (Abdan) Antonio Muller also attended the seminar.

In his welcome speech, the Deputy Director General of ROSATOM Kirill Komarov reaffirmed the company’s interest in bringing the Russian technology to Brazil. The executive, who spent the day in Brasilia yesterday, in a meeting with the Minister of Mines and Energy, Edson Lobao, confirmed the interest in investing in Brazil and bet that nuclear power is the future: it is effective and safe.

Komarov said that in the case of interest on the part of the Brazilian government ROSATOM is ready to build, operate and finance investments in nuclear power plants in the country and made it clear that it is open to discuss with the government the more interesting business model for the country. For example, in Russia, there are 100% state-owned NPP’s models and examples such as Kaliningrad NPP, where 49% of the shares can be transferred to private investors.

The ROSATOM m is ready to support the Brazilian initiatives with a range of solutions. "We are flexible partners and we are ready to evaluate any model of cooperation with Brazil. We offer a unique and integrated model and we are able to help with the latest technology, already used in Russia and worldwide. If Brazil decides that supports private investors, we are available. In Turkey, for example, we will be 100% owners. But this is a decision of the Brazilian government", Komarov said.

The president of Electronuclear Othon Luiz Pinheiro stressed that Brazil needs to think of other solutions to the energy matrix, now quite dependent on hydropower. Eletrobras has plans to build four to eight nuclear power plants by 2030 and is considering using only safe reactors, with technology PPW (Pressurized Water Reactor), the same used by ROSATOM. According to Pinheiro, "Brazil needs good options and ROSATOM is one of the qualified suppliers that are under evaluation".

ROSATOM is currently implements the projects on construction of 28 nuclear power plants, 19 of which are abroad. Outside the country, there are ongoing projects in India, China, Belarus, Turkey and Vietnam. Now the order book of Rosatom is about USD 70 billion in a ten year period, Komarov said. By 2030, he estimates that the order book will reach 80 blocks.

The safety of nuclear power was subject of almost all the sessions. According to ROSATOM’s executives, after the Fukushima disaster in Japan, the last two years were devoted to testing, that proved that pressurized water reactors meet the highest demands worldwide, with containment structures that can withstand even the fall of an airplane. They added that before exported, all technologies are first used in Russia.