(kommersant.com) - Russias Atomstroyexport and Tekhsnabexport have sealed an agreement with Kazatomprom of Kazakhstan to set up three ventures, said Sergey Novikov, briefer of Federal Atomic Energy Director Sergey Kiriyenko. One of the ventures will construct three nuclear units for VBER-300 reactor in Aktau.
Of three ventures, which creation the Federal Atomic Energy Agency (Rosatom) has agreed on in Kazakstan this week, the most advanced project relates to developing innovative reactors of small/medium capacity and promoting them in Kazakhstan, Russia and worldwide. Similar to other two ventures, this one will be established at 50/50 basis with Russia contributing technology and Kazakhstan funding construction of a nuclear power plant, reports Trend.
The matter at stake is to finish off the project of VBER-300 marine heterogeneous reactor of 300 MW capacity. This type of reactor suits well for the power grid of Kazakhsan. Elaborating the project requires $60 million to $70 million and three years, and the plant's construction will take five more years, said Vladimir Petrunin, designer at Afrikantov Design Office. According to Petrunin, there is no operating reactor of such capacity in the world, while Russia has constructed 460 prototype models for icebreakers and submarines.
The second venture is expected to annually produce 5,000 tons to 6,000 tons of uranium, twice as much as in Russia. The third venture will enrich uranium for Kazakhstan and will be probably located in Angarsk, Russia. Though no details have been disclosed so far, the sources say Kazakhstan could be offered to joint the project of creating an International Center for Uranium Enrichment, which Russia first proposed to Iran in early this year.