On September 7, 2022, as part of the business program of the VII Eastern Economic Forum, a session "The Far East and the Arctic – A Territory of New Energy" organized by ROSATOM was held.
During the session, it was noted that nuclear energy as a sustainable and reliable source of electricity generation acts as a driver for the development of macro-regions.
In particular, the construction of low-capacity nuclear power plants with a RITM-200 reactor unit will ensure the economic and technical feasibility of large infrastructure projects, such as the development of the Kyuchus cluster of solid mineral deposits in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and power supply for Baimsky Ore Mining and Processing Plant in Chukotka.
"The region has a great export potential due to the proximity of such countries as China, India, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Myanmar and others. Today, we already have a number of projects in the Far East: Akademik Lomonosov, the world’s first and only floating nuclear power plant located in Pevek. There is a modernized floating power unit; four such units will be in operation at Baimsky Ore Mining and Processing Plant. There is a ground-based SMR project for the development of the Kyuchus field. There is demand for even smaller reactors. In addition to nuclear power, we are involved in the creation of the Sakhalin hydrogen cluster: this is about both the generation of hydrogen and the creation of a hydrogen train. We are also planning to build a composite shipbuilding yard on Sakhalin. There are successful ventures in wind power, energy storage, nuclear medicine and so on," said Alexey Likhachev, CEO of ROSATOM.
It was noted at the session that the implementation of SMRs would mean economically feasible tariffs for consumers, forecast taking into account the project life cycle, and high quality of electricity.
"The construction of a low-capacity nuclear power plant in Ust-Kuyga, which we started with ROSATOM, will really change the Yakut Arctic. This will be a major mining project. It will allow the development of gold-bearing and tin deposits and the emergence of a huge industrial Yana-basin territory with its energy heart in the form of a low-capacity nuclear power plant," said the Head of Yakutia, Aisen Nikolaev.
ROSATOM today is a multidisciplinary and reliable partner engaged in projects for setting up wind farms on Sakhalin Island, the creation of a hydrogen-powered train, the utilization and injection of carbon dioxide.
"Today there are two nuclear power plants operating in Chukotka Autonomous Region, their total installed capacity making 31% of the region's total generation. This is true "green" energy, with no harmful emissions into the soil, air or water. We continue to develop cooperation with ROSATOM: by 2031, with the commissioning of four modernized floating power units, the share of nuclear power in the energy sector of Chukotka will already amount to 68.4%. This will reduce the carbon footprint and give impetus to the development of the area around the plants, improve the quality of life of the population and implement the largest investment project – the development of the Baimskaya ore zone," commented Roman Kopin, Governor of Chukotka Autonomous Region.
At the heart of modern environmentally friendly energy is a human-centered integrated approach focused on the strategic development of the Far East and the Arctic for decades to come.
"We have 27 percent of renewable energy in the total energy balance. This is one of the highest figures among the regions of the Russian Federation, which is quite understandable, as the very nature of Kamchatka provides extra opportunities for this. What I mean is geothermal energy, the heat of the Earth, which has a huge potential for expansion of use. Firstly, this is Rushydro, the Mutnovsky geothermal plant, with plans to revamp it, increase its efficiency, and introduce new technologies. An equally important objective is the development and implementation of low-capacity geothermal plants, wind generation. Besides, we count on the restoration of the region’s gasification. The implementation of such large-scale project with NOVATEK will enable us to provide the peninsula with the missing amounts of natural gas," said Vladimir Solodov, Governor of Kamchatka Territory.
The session was also attended by Valery Limarenko, Governor of Sakhalin Region, Roman Berdnikov, First Deputy Director General of PJSC Rushydro, Dmitry Livanov, Rector of Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT).