Putin Sets Target to Raise Nuclear Share to 25% by 2045
Achieving the target will require dozens of new nuclear power units with a combined capacity of about 30 GW to be commissioned.
Reaching a 25% share of the country's total energy mix will require an unprecedented expansion of generating capacity. Over the next two decades, Russia will need to commission new nuclear units totaling 29-30 GW of capacity, which means building several nuclear power plants from the ground up and improving the efficiency of existing facilities.
The expansion will be based primarily on Generation III+ VVER-1200 reactor units, which have already established a strong operating record. In parallel, Rosatom will continue working to extend the operating lives of existing nuclear power units.
Small modular nuclear power plants will be another focus. They are planned to supply isolated communities and large industrial clusters. Land-based and floating small nuclear plants will provide electricity in areas where building conventional grids and large power plants would be economically impractical or technically unfeasible.
Power for Data Centers and Artificial Intelligence
Electricity consumption is rising as information technology develops rapidly. Training neural networks, processing big data and running artificial intelligence-based services require enormous computing capacity. Today's AI clusters consume hundreds of megawatts of electricity, while future projects will require gigawatts. Data centers form the core infrastructure for these clusters.
Data centers consume electricity around the clock and require highly reliable power supplies. Any disruption can result in data loss, service outages and enormous financial losses. Nuclear power plants are well suited to supplying data centers because they provide stable baseload generation and operate continuously regardless of season or weather conditions.
Deploying new computing clusters in Russia will require corresponding additions to generating capacity. Increasing the share of nuclear generation will provide a foundation for locating IT companies in Russia and developing domestic cloud services. Without additional reliable generating capacity, the expansion of Russian data centers and AI platforms will face physical constraints.
Robotics and Industrial Digitalization
The digitalization of traditional industries is also driving electricity demand. Deploying industrial robots, automated production lines and machine vision systems at factories significantly increases industrial power consumption. The shift toward unmanned production and round-the-clock operation of automated facilities will further increase the need for reliable power supplies at industrial sites.
Electric transportation and charging infrastructure are another significant source of electricity demand. Expanding charging networks for commercial and public transportation creates peak loads on regional power systems. Nuclear generation can help meet this growing demand without increasing environmental pollution or the carbon footprint.
Infrastructure for Technological Sovereignty
Raising nuclear power's share of the energy mix to 25% is a major macroeconomic undertaking intended to support Russia's technological sovereignty amid the global digital transformation.
Rosatom is aligning its power plant construction plans with projected increases in electricity consumption in the IT sector, industry and science. The state corporation's investment programs for the coming years are geared toward fulfilling the president's directive, while new nuclear power plant and small nuclear plant projects are already being incorporated into long-term regional development strategies. Alongside new generating units, digital grid management systems and smart algorithms are being introduced. They can optimize load distribution between nuclear plants and end users while forecasting peaks in electricity consumption.
The president's directive sets the course for the development of Russia's energy sector over the next 20 years and establishes the nuclear industry as the principal driver of the country's economic electrification.
