MOSCOW — The world today has entered the fourth industrial revolution: all aspects of life are changing, and energy is no exception. World energy markets are currently undergoing a profound transformation that is significantly changing the volume and structure of demand and leading to increased competition across the globe. Today’s key trends include the evolution of the energy mix in favor of cleaner sources because of the increasingly prominent role played by the climate agenda.

Nuclear energy can help countries meet targets under The Paris Agreement which central aim is to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change. Nuclear can help to reach this goal because carbon emissions linked to nuclear-powered energy are relatively small. In addition, supply is reliable and prices stable and predictable.

Speaking at the Roundtable "Nuclear Energy As The Base For Global Partnership And Modern Development”, Alexey Likhachev, the director general of ROSATOM explained: “If we consider the total lifecycle of a Nuclear Power Station (NPP), the volume of CO2 emission per kWh is the optimal one compared to the other energy sources. Furthermore, we think that not only nuclear power as an energy source is ecologically safe, but also all the production facilities which are “set” for its production and ensuring its life cycle, in their turn, fully correspond to the highest ecological standards.”

The roundtable was held on the Oct. 3 within the framework of the 2nd Moscow Energy Week global forum, with participation of Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources Khalid A. Al-Falih, IAEA Deputy Director General Mikhail Chudakov, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó, Bangladesh Minister of Science and Technology Yafes Osman, Serbian Minister of Innovation and Technological Development Nenad Popović and Pekka Lundmark General Director and CEO of Fortum Corporation. Agnetta Rising, general director of World Nuclear Association (WNA) moderated the session.

Participants discussed prospects and opportunities for sustainable development provided by the use of the nuclear technologies. It was pointed out that the low-carbon generation is impossible without the development of nuclear energy, which is one of the integral components of the "green energy balance" along with hydroelectric power plants, solar panels and wind turbines

“Bangladesh already suffers from the climate changes. And this is why we need a reliable, clean and environmentally safe energy source. This will be Ruppur NPP, which is now being constructed with the help of Rosatom,“ noted Osman.

“Rosatom makes its contribution into the development of the global nuclear industry. At the present day, we have 36 power units as signed contracts and intergovernmental agreements. Nuclear technologies always give an important boost to socio-economical development of a country which is using them,” Likhachev stressed.

Panelists stressed that it is time that the international cooperation in nuclear industry development takes a quantum leap, also at the stage of a NPP construction. Such cooperation will benefit to ensuring energy security, stable power supply and environmental safety.

The International Forum ‘Russian Energy Week’ is one of the main events in the energy sector in Russia and abroad. Heads of state and government, top executives of the world’s energy majors, leading global experts, heads of Russian regions and journalists take part in the Forum. The aim of the event is to discuss current global energy issues, identify the main directions of development for the fuel and energy sector, and seek optimal solutions to address existing challenges.

The 2018 Forum was attended by more than 9,500 people, over 3,000 of which participated in Youth Day. Approximately 3,000 were representatives of Russian and foreign business, including employees of some 700 companies from Russia and 200 foreign companies from 66 other countries, such as Austria, Azerbaijan, Angola, Great Britain, Vietnam, Germany, Denmark, Indonesia, Spain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Cyprus, China, Libya, Luxembourg, Nigeria, the Netherlands, the Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, the USA, Finland, France, Switzerland, and Japan. More than 400 Russian and 38 foreign companies were represented by company heads. — SG