According to the level of scientific and technical developments Russian nuclear energy is one of the best in the world. Businesses have enormous opportunities to solve everyday or large-scale problems. Experts predict a promising future in this area, since the Russian Federation has large reserves of ores for energy production.
A brief history of the development of nuclear energy in Russia
The nuclear industry dates back to the times of the USSR, when it was planned to implement one of the author’s projects to create explosives from uranium substance. In the summer of 1945, atomic weapons were successfully tested in the United States, and in 1949, they were used for the first time at the Semipalatinsk test site. nuclear bomb RDS-1. Further development nuclear energy in Russia was as follows:
Research and production teams have worked for many years to achieve a high level of atomic weapons, and they are not going to stop there. Later you will learn about the prospects in this area until 2035.
Operating nuclear power plants in Russia: brief description
Currently there are 10 operating nuclear power plants. The features of each of them will be discussed below.
- No. 1 and No. 2 with an AMB reactor;
- No. 3 with BN-600 reactor.
Produces up to 10% of the total volume electrical energy. Currently, many systems in Sverdlovsk are in long-term conservation mode, and only the BN-600 power unit is in operation. Beloyarsk NPP is located in Zarechny.
- Bilibino Nuclear Power Plant is the only source supplying heat to the city of Bilbino and has a capacity of 48 MW. The station generates about 80% of the energy and meets all the requirements for equipment installation:
- maximum ease of operation;
- increased operational reliability;
- protection from mechanical damage;
- minimum amount of installation work.
The system has important advantage: If the unit is interrupted unexpectedly, it will not be harmed. The station is located in Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, at 4.5, the distance to Anadyr is 610 km.
What is the state of nuclear energy today?
Today there are more than 200 enterprises whose specialists work tirelessly on perfection nuclear energy in Russia. Therefore, we are confidently moving forward in this direction: we are developing new reactor models and gradually expanding production. According to members of the World Nuclear Association, strong point Russia - development of technologies based on fast neurons. 
Russian technologies, many of which were developed by Rosatom, are highly valued abroad for their relatively low cost and safety. Consequently, we have quite a high potential in the nuclear industry.
The Russian Federation provides many services related to the activities in question to its foreign partners. These include:
- construction of nuclear power units taking into account safety rules;
- supply of nuclear fuel;
- output of used objects;
- training of international personnel;
- assistance in the development of scientific work and nuclear medicine.
Russia is building a large number of power units abroad. Projects such as Bushehr or Kudankulam, created for Iranian and Indian nuclear power plants, were successful. They have enabled the creation of clean, safe and efficient energy sources. 
What problems related to the nuclear industry have arisen in Russia?
In 2011, a collapse occurred at the Leningrad NPP-2 under construction metal structures(weight about 1200 tons). During the course of the supervisory commission, the supply of uncertified fittings was discovered, and therefore the following measures were taken:
- imposition of a fine on JSC GMZ-Khimmash in the amount of 30 thousand rubles;
- performing calculations and carrying out work aimed at strengthening reinforcement.
According to Rostechnadzor, main reason violation is the insufficient level of qualifications of GMZ-Khimmash specialists. Poor knowledge of federal regulations and manufacturing technologies similar equipment and design documentation led to the fact that many such organizations lost their licenses.
At the Kalinin NPP, the thermal power level of the reactors has increased. Such an event is extremely undesirable, as there is a possibility of an accident with serious radiation consequences.
Long-term research conducted in foreign countries, showed that proximity to nuclear power plants leads to an increase in leukemia. For this reason, in Russia there were many refusals of effective, but very dangerous projects.
Prospects for nuclear power plants in Russia
Forecasts for future use atomic energy contradictory and ambiguous. Most of them agree that by the middle of the 21st century the need will increase due to the inevitable increase in population.
The Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation announced the energy strategy of Russia for the period until 2035 (information received in 2014). The strategic goal of nuclear energy includes:
Taking into account the established strategy, it is planned to solve the following tasks in the future:
- improve the scheme of production, circulation and disposal of fuel and raw materials;
- develop targeted programs to ensure renewal, sustainability and increased efficiency of the existing fuel base;
- implement the most effective projects with high level safety and reliability;
- increase the export of nuclear technologies.
State support for the mass production of nuclear power units is the basis for the successful promotion of goods abroad and Russia’s high reputation in the international market.
What hinders the development of nuclear energy in Russia?
The development of nuclear energy in the Russian Federation faces certain difficulties. Here are the main ones:
In Russia, nuclear energy is one of the important sectors of the economy. The successful implementation of the projects being developed can help develop other industries, but this requires a lot of effort.
Nuclear energy is one of the industries energy industry. Electricity production is based on the heat released during the fission of heavy radioactive metal nuclei. The most widely used fuels are the isotopes of plutonium-239 and uranium-235, which decay in special nuclear reactors.
According to statistics for 2014, nuclear energy produces about 11% of all electricity in the world. The top three countries in terms of nuclear power production are the USA, France and Russia.
This type of energy extraction is used in cases where the own Natural resources countries do not allow energy production in required volumes. But there is still debate surrounding this energy sector. The economic efficiency and safety of production are called into question due to hazardous waste and possible leaks of uranium and plutonium into the production of nuclear weapons.
Development of nuclear energy
Nuclear electricity was first generated in 1951. In the state of Idaho, in the United States, scientists have built a stably operating reactor with a capacity of 100 kilowatts. During the post-war devastation and rapid growth in electricity consumption, nuclear energy acquired particular relevance. Therefore, three years later, in 1954, the power unit in the city of Obninsk began operating, and a month and a half after the launch, the energy it produced began to flow into the Mosenergo network.
After this, the construction and launch of nuclear power plants acquired a rapid pace:
- 1956 - the Calder Hall-1 nuclear power plant with a capacity of 50 MW began operating in the UK;
- 1957 - launch of the Shippingport nuclear power plant in the USA (60 megawatts);
- 1959 - the Marcoule station with a capacity of 37 MW is opened near Avignon in France.
The beginning of the development of nuclear energy in the USSR was marked by the construction and launch of the Siberian nuclear power plant with a capacity of 100 MW. The pace of development of the nuclear industry at that time was increasing: in 1964, the first units of the Beloyarsk and Novovoronezh nuclear power plants were launched with a capacity of 100 and 240 MW, respectively. During the period from 1956 to 1964, the USSR built 25 nuclear facilities around the world.
Then, in 1973, the first high-power unit of the Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant with a capacity of 1000 MW was launched. A year earlier, a nuclear power plant began work in the city of Shevcheko (now Aktau), in Kazakhstan. The energy it produces was used to desalinate the waters of the Caspian Sea.
In the early 70s of the 20th century, the rapid development of nuclear energy was justified by a number of reasons:
- absence of untapped hydropower resources;
- growth in electricity consumption and energy costs;
- trade embargo on energy supplies from Arab countries;
- expected reduction in the cost of constructing nuclear power plants.
However, in the 80s of the same century, the situation turned out to be its opposite: the demand for electricity stabilized, as well as the cost of natural fuel. And the cost of building a nuclear power plant, on the contrary, has increased. These factors have created serious obstacles to the development of this industrial sector.
The accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in 1986 created serious problems in the development of nuclear power. A large-scale man-made disaster forced the whole world to think about the safety of the peaceful atom. At the same time, a period of stagnation has begun in the entire nuclear energy industry.
The beginning of the 21st century marked the revival of Russian nuclear energy. Between 2001 and 2004, three new power units were commissioned.
In March 2004, according to the Presidential Decree, the Federal Atomic Energy Agency was formed. And three years later he was replaced by the state corporation Rosatom
In its current form, Russian nuclear energy is a powerful complex of more than 350 enterprises, whose staff is approaching 230 thousand. The corporation ranks second in the world in terms of nuclear fuel reserves and nuclear power production volumes. The industry is actively developing, this moment The construction of 9 nuclear power units continues in compliance with modern safety standards.
Nuclear energy industries
Nuclear energy modern Russia- a complex complex consisting of several industries:
- mining and enrichment of uranium - the main fuel for nuclear reactors;
- a complex of enterprises for the production of uranium and plutonium isotopes;
- nuclear energy enterprises themselves, performing tasks for the design, construction and operation of nuclear power plants;
- production of nuclear power plants.
Research institutes are indirectly related to nuclear energy, where they develop and improve electricity production technologies. At the same time, such institutions deal with problems of nuclear weapons, security and shipbuilding.
Nuclear energy in Russia
Russia has full-cycle nuclear technologies - from mining uranium ore to generating electricity at nuclear power plants. The nuclear energy complex includes 10 operating power plants with 35 operating power units. The construction of 6 nuclear power plants is also actively underway, and plans for the construction of 8 more are being worked out.
Most of the energy generated by Russian nuclear power plants is used directly to meet the needs of the population. However, some stations, for example Beloyarskaya and Leningradskaya, provide nearby settlements And hot water. Rosatom is actively developing a nuclear heating plant that will make it possible to cheaply heat the selected regions of the country.
Nuclear energy in countries around the world
The first place in terms of nuclear energy production is occupied by the United States with 104 nuclear reactors with a capacity of 798 billion kilowatt-hours per year. Second place is France, where 58 reactors are located. Behind it is Russia with 35 power units. South Korea and China round out the top five. Each country has 23 reactors, only China is second to Korea in terms of the volume of nuclear electricity produced - 123 billion kWh/year versus 149 billion kWh/year.