SIRIUS /FEDERAL TERRITORY/, March 26. /TASS/. Supplies of Russian uranium to friendly countries have been growing by 70-80% in recent years and by 20-25% - to unfriendly countries. Rosatom expects to receive additional revenues from such supplies to friendly countries after 2030, CEO of the state corporation Alexey Likhachev said in an interview with RT at the Atomexpo-2024 forum.
"Taking both pricing and volumes into account, we have seen a surge in supply volumes to markets of unfriendly countries of around 20-25% in recent years. We continue to fulfill all our duties. However, the growth rate of shipments to friendly countries' markets is three times higher, at 70-80%. It is not difficult to estimate that throughout the period until 2030, we will totally replace, and starting from 2030-2032, we will receive additional revenues from our raw material deliveries to friendly countries' markets," he said.
According to him, over the past decades, 36 reactors have been built in China, 4 power units have been commissioned in the UAE, and new capacities have been introduced in Bangladesh, Egypt, India, and Turkey. These countries are the main points of growth for Russian fuel supplies, Likhachev emphasized.
He also recalled that Rosatom is second in the world in terms of uranium reserves and third in its production. The corporation also ranks third in the world in terms of nuclear fuel fabrication and leads in terms of uranium enrichment.
The company’s First Deputy General Director Kirill Komarov said earlier on Tuesday that negotiations between state corporation Rosatom and Uzbekistan on a contract for the construction of a nuclear power plant (NPP) in the country are going "quite successfully’. "Contract negotiations are going well. I always try not to mention such cases or give dates so as not to pressure anyone, because this is a critical decision. This is a decision that will shape the situation in Uzbekistan for the next century. So, I’ll tell you this - it's better to take the extra time to discuss all the intricacies than to rush and make mistakes. However, we are ready to start the concrete implementation of this project at any time," Komarov said.
He added that experts have already examined in detail the site where the nuclear power plant is supposed to be built, and the most optimal technological solutions have been determined.
Komarov also added that Rosatom may build a lithium storage factory in Bolivia. "The second area of cooperation with Bolivia is assistance to the country in technologies related to lithium mining and processing," he said.
Komarov added that Bolivia is one of the countries with the largest lithium reserves, noting that it is important to learn "not just to extract lithium, but to do it as carefully and as environmentally friendly as possible." "We have very big plans. At some stage we could even to build a storage factory in Bolivia, which could give Bolivia the opportunity to participate in this world history of the broadest development of electric transport," Komarov noted.