Rosatom will extend closed-cycle technologies to other industries

Rosatom will replicate closed-cycle technologies not only in the nuclear energy industry of the future, but also in other industries, said the general director of the state corporation, Alexey Likhachev.

“Approaches to the circular economy have become the basis of our activities and technology development, and we will now replicate this in other directions, in other industries,” Likhachev said, speaking via video link at the Bioprom forum in Gelendzhik.

In general, closed-cycle technologies make it possible to reduce the amount of nuclear waste, use it as a useful raw material, and thereby reduce the negative impact on the environment. It will also be possible to reduce the amount and biological danger of radioactive waste.

Rosatom is in practice mastering the technologies necessary for the transition to a competitive two-component energy system based on a closed nuclear fuel cycle (CNFC). Thanks to the CNFC, the reproduction of nuclear fuel, plutonium, will expand, and the fuel base of nuclear energy will significantly increase, eliminating the need to mine natural uranium in large volumes.

As for specific projects with Rosatom’s participation in other areas, first of all we are talking about the environment - about returning accumulated chemical materials to the technological cycle, Likhachev explained. “These are tens of tons of recycled materials that are used in construction,” he added.

In addition, the closed cycle is applicable when creating lithium-ion energy storage systems - from lithium mining to battery recycling, the head of Rosatom said.