AtomExpo-2022: electric propulsion as a new paradigm

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AtomInfo.Ru, PUBLISHED 07.12.2022

On November 21-22, 2022, the XII ATOMEXPO-2022 International Forum was held at the Sirius Center in Sochi. The forum was attended by over 3,000 specialists and guests from Russia, as well as 65 countries of the near and far abroad: representatives of business, government agencies, international organizations.

Within the framework of the forum, round tables were organized in various areas. One of it was held under the title "Electric propulsion as a new paradigm for industry development", and the briefing for journalists was held after the event.

CONTINUED BELOW

Electric propulsion is not the most relevant topic for the nuclear industry, and this was evident from the composition of journalists who asked questions, many of whom represented either general political or specialized automotive media.

At difficult times, large state-owned companies and corporations must take on government tasks. The restoration of the Russian automotive industry is one of such serious and important tasks, and the TVEL company is not going to stay away from its solution.

Why electromotion? Natalia Nikipelova, president of TVEL JSC, explained that if the automotive industry is to be restored seriously, then it needs to be approached systematically and invested in a car not of yesterday, but of tomorrow. The creation of a localized electric transport industry in Russia is quite suitable for such a definition.

The answer to the question of how deeply TVEL and Rosatom should be involved in the work on the automotive industry of the future is actually not trivial. According to Nikipelova, private business is quite capable of doing light things, and a state-owned company should take on complex redevelopments - for example, extraction of necessary minerals or disposal problems.

In addition, in the Kaliningrad region, Rosatom has begun construction of a so-called gigafactory for the production of lithium-ion batteries, capable of covering the needs for batteries of up to 50 thousand passenger cars per year. The industry integrator Renera (part of TVEL) is responsible for the project. Further plans include the construction of three more similar gigafactories.

The battery is one of the most expensive, if not the most expensive element of an electric car. Therefore, unusual business solutions can be used for it, allowing to reduce the cost of an electric car as a whole. For example, you can not buy a battery, but rent (lease) it, hand over discharged batteries at gas stations and take new ones instead.

The discharged batteries, according to the Renera, can also be used, since they will still be quite suitable for operation as part of stationary energy storage complexes.

While the gigafactory in Kaliningrad is being built, Rener is developing new product samples for it. As part of Atomexpo, the company presented a prototype of a new lithium-ion cell battery module designed specifically for a wide range of electric vehicles.

Topics: Rosatom, Russia, TVEL, Opinions

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The 12th ATOMEXPO 2022 International Forum took place in Sochi (Russia) on 21-22 November. Over 3,000 guests, including businesspeople, government agencies, and international organisations, from Russia and 65 other countries attended the event.