Nuclear industry of Russia: spheres of activity, main directions and tasks

Since the launch in 1954 in the city of Obninsk, the world's first power station, operating on the energy of uranium isotopes, begins the history of the nuclear industry. It was planned that the share of nuclear power by the beginning of the second millennium will be at least 25% of the world's electricity production. But, unfortunately, in view of serious accidents, including at the Chernobyl nuclear power station, by 2000, only 6% of the world's electricity was produced with the help of nuclear fuel .

However, despite the very meager indicators, in this industry there have been formed several areas. They occupy an important role in the economic, defense and production spheres of many countries of the world.

Organization of the nuclear industry

For more than half a century of development of nuclear technologies, Russia has formed four large, inextricably linked with each other scientific and production complex:

1. Power. He is in charge of the extraction, enrichment and production of nuclear fuel, the creation of enterprises in such areas as nuclear energy, the nuclear industry.
2. The Armory. Supervises the creation and testing of new nuclear weapons.
3. Radiation safety. Called to protect the present and future generations from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation.
4. Nuclear medicine. Introduces radionuclide drugs in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases.

Also in the nuclear industry is a research and development complex that deals with the development of fundamental and applied knowledge in nuclear physics, as well as the nuclear icebreaking fleet. At present, Russia's nuclear industry includes more than 250 enterprises. Its main task is the wider use of nuclear technologies for peaceful purposes.

Power complex

Because of the inextricable link between the nuclear industry and the country's security, all power is concentrated in the hands of the state corporation Rosatom. It is she who is responsible for the development and implementation of nuclear technologies in the sphere of human activities. Obtain uranium mainly on the territory of Kazakhstan. The nuclear industry is planning to expand its borders, and start cooperating with other countries - Namibia, Armenia, Canada.

Enrichment of uranium is handled by four joint-stock companies, and the production of nuclear fuel by a large company TVEL, which provides all 10 operating nuclear power plants in Russia, as well as 17% of all nuclear power plants in the world.

Nuclear weapons complex

Enterprises of the nuclear-weapons complex are not separate subdivisions of the Russian defense industry. They work closely with other organizations, including civil companies. The main consumers of nuclear products in this sector are the railway, automotive and oil and gas industries.

The main task of nuclear weapons, which includes the nuclear industry, is to pursue a policy of nuclear deterrence - protecting the territory and citizens of the country from the nuclear weapons of other countries. For this purpose, the complex includes several federal nuclear centers.

Complex of radiation safety

Protection of people and the environment from radiation exposure is an unshakable postulate of Rosatom.

To achieve this goal, the complex includes several enterprises, which annually resolve issues in two main areas:

• Providing accident-free operation of existing nuclear industry enterprises. Here, projects are being developed and implemented to protect nuclear reactors from natural disasters, terrorist acts, and the environment from radioactive radiation.
• Utilization of spent fuel residues, as well as liquidation of obsolete facilities of the "Atomic Project" of the USSR.

Annually for the decision of these questions the nuclear industry receives about 150 billion rubles.

Nuclear medicine

In cooperation with the federal medical and biological agency, a nuclear medicine complex is being created that will become completely autonomous. PET centers (centers of positron emission tomography) are already being created, the equipment of which will allow revealing at the early stages of tumor development, metastasis and pathological foci.

The complex includes laboratories that deal with isotope regulation and quality control, as well as directly medical centers in which patients are diagnosed and treated.

Nuclear technology is increasingly being introduced into our lives. Now in the country in this area employs about 190 thousand people. And it is not surprising that the Government of the Russian Federation defined a calendar day - September 28, which an employee of the nuclear industry can consider his professional holiday.