Mar 3 2009
Siemens and the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom today signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the creation of a joint venture in the field of nuclear energy. The joint venture plans to push ahead with further development of Russian pressurized water reactor (VVER) technology. It also intends to handle marketing and sales, and the construction of new nuclear power plants as well as modernization and upgrades of existing plants.
The joint venture may take up business opportunities along the entire nuclear conversion chain from fuel fabrication to decommissioning of nuclear power plants. In a next step, the parties will negotiate the terms and conditions of the cooperation, with Rosatom holding the majority stake of 50 percent plus one share in the joint venture. The two parties would complement each other well. Rosatom is the world’s only company covering the whole nuclear value-added chain including the operation of nuclear power plants. Siemens has accumulated comprehensive know-how in the conventional island of nuclear power plants and experience in project management for the construction of large installations.
”The progress made in the talks shows that we really understand each other well by virtue of our experiences in joint activities and projects,” underlined Sergey V. Kirienko, General Director of the State Corporation Rosatom. “In a fully fledged partnership with Siemens we want to become the world market leader in nuclear power business. I am looking forward to soon making next successful steps in our negotiations.”
“It’s a pleasure for me to announce that with the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding we have made an important step in the direction of closer cooperation with Rosatom only four weeks after we were kindly invited by Prime Minister Putin to hold talks,” said Peter Löscher, President and CEO of Siemens AG. “With this agreement we see a great opportunity based on our long-term successful cooperation to enlarge our footprint in nuclear business with a very strong and experienced partner. As an essential part of a sustainable energy mix, nuclear power will play an important role in low-CO2 power generation.”
By 2030, it is forecast that there will be approximately 400 new nuclear power plants around the globe, representing a total investment of more than EUR1,000 billion. Siemens with its Energy Sector is the world’s only fully integrated provider along the entire energy conversion chain, from exploration via power generation and transmission to the distribution of electrical energy. The company focuses on energy efficiency in a balanced energy mix including fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas as well as nuclear energy and renewables.