'Russia is ready' for partnership with Siemens

04 February 2009

Vladimir Putin has invited Siemens to enter into discussions with Rosatom, the umbrella agency for the Russian nuclear power industry. A tie-in now looks likely.

 

President and CEO of Germany-based Siemens, Peter Löscher, met the Russian prime minister yesterday. "We're please to be invited to discussions on expanding our existing cooperation in energy technology to include nuclear power," said Löscher, adding that he would like to "further intensify" his firm's partnerships in Russia.

 

Putin told Löscher: "Russia is ready to pass from one-time projects to large-scale partnership as practice has shown that our cooperation with your company is quite effective."

 

Siemens CEO Peter Löscher during talks in Moscow yesterday (Image: Alexsey Druginyn, STF)

 

The discussions follow Siemens' announcement last week that it wishes to leave its nuclear plant construction partnership with Areva. The Areva group will buy back Siemen's 34% stake in Areva NP before the end of January 2012.

 

A tie-in between Siemens and Russian firms such as AtomStroyExport, AtomEnergoProm or AtomEnergoMash now looks likely. Siemens could supply process, instrumentation and control systems for the reactors Russia plans to export or build at home. It could even gain a re-involvement in reactor technology, which it packaged into Areva NP. Russian nuclear technology could gain a valuable image boost, while a joint venture would allow Russia some interest in Western markets.

 

Siemens has already cooperated with AtomStroyExport to build the two pressurized water reactors at Tianwan in China, supplying the control systems. It will also partner with Areva to supply electronic equipment for two new Russian reactors at Belene in Bulgaria.

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