OREANDA-NEWS. At the invitation of the French Embassy in Russia, state atomic energy corporation Rosatom, together with Business France, a government agency supporting international development of the French economy and promoting international investment in France, is taking part in the 2nd French-Russian Nuclear Cooperation Conference, dedicated to broadening of cooperation between Rosatom and French nuclear companies. 

Rosatom and nuclear industry experts are meeting to discuss possible ways of cooperation with French suppliers. Both parties agree on the importance of this initiative. Rosatom that has the largest number of nuclear reactors being built internationally - 29 units in various stages of planning and construction in the EU, the Middle East, Asia and Asia Pacific, - is interested in working with French suppliers of equipment and services in the world market.


The nuclear cooperation between France and Russia has been successful for more than 40 years, and Rosatom subsidiaries have been doing business with French companies, including EdF, AREVA, Alstom, and Schneider Electric. So the opening of a regional center in Western Europe with the headquarters in Paris in 2014 looks sensible.

France is also interested in broadening of nuclear cooperation with Russia because this means new factory orders and new jobs.
Small and medium-sized businesses in nuclear energy and related industries along with more than 80 leading French companies and large industrial groups, that build and operate reactors, make machines, electrical equipment and safety systems, carry out scientific research, provide engineering services, decomission nuclear facilities, manage and dispose of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste, are taking part in the conference.

The prospects of the French-Russian nuclear cooperation were discussed at the plenary session and strategic meetings held on the first day of the conference. Reports dealt with international cooperation, purchasing system of Rosatom and searching for foreign suppliers for Rosatom’s projects in third countries. Besides, spokespersons told the audience about the construction of nuclear reactors in Belarus, Hungary, Finland, Turkey and other countries.

Among the participants were France’s Special Representative for Relations with Russia Jean-Pierre Chevenement, Rosatom First Deputy CEO for Corporate Development and International Business Kirill Komarov, CEO of the French Agency for International Business Development Business France Muriel Penicaud, Trade Representative of Russia in France Alexander Turov, Advisor on Atomic Energy at the French Embassy in Russia Alexander Gorbachev.

Speaking at the conference opening ceremony Kirill Komarov said: “Rosatom’s global strategic priorities imply foreign participation in its projects, set-up of a supply chain and localization. The life of the generation 3+ VVER reactors is more than 100 years. It means that throughout this time our foreign partners might not only supply equipment, but also operate the reactors with us, carry out maintenance procedures, upgrade nuclear power plants and take part in their decomissioning”.

Jean-Pierre Chevenement stressed the importance of cooperation between France and Russia, especially recent developments: “French and Russian companies can offer a complete nuclear fuel cycle service to their customers. Rosatom is a large, fast growing company. It has been on the market for a long time. I have confidence in Russia and France relations; we have a long history of friendship and cooperation in various fields, including the nuclear energy. That is why there is a handful of projects that we carry out together, given good prospects for our relationship and cooperation”, - he said.

On the second day of the conference there will be B2B meetings between Rosatom and French suppliers of products and services for the nuclear sector.