... solution—cannot operate without it. Without HALEU, SMRs remain a concept on paper. This is where uranium stops being a commodity and becomes a strategic chokepoint.
There is currently only one commercial producer of HALEU in the world: TENEX, the export arm of Russia's state nuclear corporation, Rosatom. Unlike fragmented Western nuclear companies, Rosatom operates as a full-spectrum integrator—mining, enrichment, reactor design, construction, long-term fuel supply, and waste management. In turn, it does not sell components; it sells interdependency....
... despite any costs and potential risks associated with project implementation, it is objectively easier and more effective to pick up where things left off with Russia than to build a highly complex nuclear program from scratch with a new partner. Third, Russia, through Rosatom, retained a crucial competitive edge, offering a comprehensive turnkey model with financing options, which is critical for capital-intensive nuclear projects.
Under the
intergovernmental agreement
signed with Russia in March 2026, two VVER-1200 ...
... strategic priority for Rosatom over the next five to 10 years, given the global demand for decentralized and low-carbon power sources?
Alexandra Perminova:
The Role of the SCO in Ensuring Water and Energy Security in Central Asia: Opportunities for Russia – China Cooperation
Rosatom sees SMR exports as a strategic direction for the next decade and a central pillar of its global low-carbon agenda. Why? Because there is vast market potential as demand for decentralized, reliable and low-carbon energy sources is soaring worldwide....
...
2024
Opportunities for Russia
The Role of the SCO in Ensuring Water and Energy Security in Central Asia: Opportunities for Russia – China Cooperation. RIAC Policy Brief
The global push for nuclear power development offers additional opportunities for Russian company Rosatom to expand its activities in this market. In recent years, Rosatom has become a leader in providing nuclear power technologies to countries of the Global South, steadily expanding its presence in Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia....
