Russian power giants join forces

21 February 2008

A new joint venture should see Russia's specialist nuclear power exporter join forces with its major conventional power plant constructor.

 

TechnoPromExport 
Some of TechnoPromExport's handiwork
(Image: TPE)
Under a deal signed on 19 February AtomStroyExport (ASE), the nuclear power company involved in five new reactor projects around the world, would enter into a 'strategic partnership' with TechnoPromExport (TPE), an exporter of all other large-scale power generation types. TPE boasts of having completed 400 power projects in 50 countries around the world totalling some 87 GWe.

 

The companies said in a joint statement that they are the two biggest Russian companies working abroad and have 'common suppliers and technological approaches to design and construction of power plants.' They would begin to cooperate on the construction and management of power projects in Russia and abroad.

 

Sergei Schmatko of ASE signed the deal with Sergei Molozhavy of TPE, who said, "This step will help us reduce marketing costs and avoid unnecessary competition between the companies."

 

Centralisation

 

The alliance of ASE and TPE is just one part of an overall Russian strategy to solidify its power industry - and nuclear power industry in specific.

 

Almost all nuclear enterprises in the country are to be incorporated into a new titan, AtomEnergoProm (AEP), to be owned and controlled by the state. One step on the path to this centralisation is the change of status of many firms to that of an Open Joint Stock Company and the transfer of shares to AEP.

 

The Federal Atomic Energy Agency (Rosatom) has now announced that change in twenty more firms, including: VNIPIET, Atomenergoproekt, Zarubezhatomenergostroy, Lenatomenergostroy, Atomtekhenergo, Kurskturboatomenergoremont, the Atom-Service of Rosenergoatom Concern, the Zhilkoservice of Ministry of Atomic Energy of Russia, the Institute of Physical-Technical Problems, as well as the Baikal Hotel and the Commercial Advertising and Scientific-Technical Propaganda Firm.